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New Zealand's Smoke-Free Model Is Already Saving Lives Worldwide, Says New Report

Smoke Free Sweden

AUCKLAND, New Zealand--BUSINESS WIRE--

International health experts are today urging New Zealand to stay the course on safer nicotine alternatives, as a major new report from Smoke Free Sweden confirms that innovative smoke-free products are helping Kiwis not only quit smoking but also achieve major health gains.

The new report, The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global Lessons, Healthier Futures, highlights New Zealand as a global success story. Between 2018 and 2024, New Zealand halved its smoking rate, directly coinciding with the government’s decision to legally recognise and promote vaping as a less harmful alternative.

“New Zealand has proven that if you make safer nicotine alternatives accessible and acceptable, smokers will switch - and the result is healthier lives,” said Dr. Marewa Glover, leading tobacco control researcher and co-author of the report.

“We’re not just seeing fewer people smoking. We’re already seeing fewer hospitalisations for lung disease, fewer cardiovascular deaths and longer life expectancy for New Zealanders. This is the true measure of success, and it’s a lesson the world should learn from.”

Since 2018, vaping prevalence in New Zealand has increased more than fourfold, from 2.6% to 11.1%, with almost four in five (78%) daily vapers being ex-smokers. This has translated into concrete health outcomes: COPD-related hospitalisations fell by nearly 30% between 2017 and 2022, smoking-related cardiovascular deaths declined by 20%, while smoking-related deaths overall dropped by 9% and disability caused by smoking fell by 10%. Biomarker-based modelling projects an additional 195,000 quality-adjusted life years gained at the population level.

The report also highlights success in other countries. Sweden, with widespread use of snus and nicotine pouches, has Europe’s lowest smoking rate (5.3%) and 61% lower lung cancer rates than the EU average.

In Japan, heated tobacco products have halved cigarette sales in a decade, preventing millions of cases of smoking-related disease. In the UK, vaping within NHS quit services is projected to avoid 166,000 premature deaths by 2052, alongside sharp falls in cardiovascular and cancer deaths.

“New Zealand is leading the world by showing how quickly smoking-related disease and death can decline when safer alternatives are part of the solution,” said Dr. Delon Human, report co-author.

“As well as dramatically reducing smoking rates, they are achieving measurable improvements in health outcomes that benefit families, communities and the entire healthcare system.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250917974874/en/

Contact details:

Jessica Perkins
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