New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey 2006

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• The prevalence of current smokers in New Zealand in 2006 was 23.5%
• Smoking rates are highest among Māori, 45.8% and Pacific, 36.2% ethnic groups
• Highest rates of smoking are among those aged 20-24 years, 30.3%; smoking rates are also high among 25-29 year olds, 28.7% and 15-19 year olds, 26.8%
• People in more deprived socioeconomic quintiles demonstrate higher rates of smoking compared to less deprived areas, 29.2%, in NZDep01 quintile 4 and 34.2% in NZDep01 quintile 5.
• The prevalence of smoking is highest among those who have had no educational qualifications, 39.2%
• District Health Boards with the highest smoking rates include Lakes 34.3%, Northland 35.7%,Tairawhiti 32.1%, Whanganui 35.3% and Southland 31.2%
• Almost half, 42.9% of smokers purchase their cigarettes from dairies or other shops, followed by supermarkets (25.4%) and petrol stations (23.2%).

• The prevalence of others smoking inside the home in New Zealand is 12.5%
• Significantly more Māori report others smoking inside the home, 23.0% compared to 10.9% non-Māori
• Around 14.9% of people report others as smoking inside the car
• Significantly more Māori identify others as smoking in the car, 30.1% compared to 12.6% non-Māori
• The prevalence of smoking inside at work is around 8.1%; whilst 89.4% report no one smoking indoors at work
• Plant machine operators and assemblers identified the largest percentage of indoor smoking at work, 10.6% followed by trades workers 9.5%
• Around 7.4% of people report others smoking indoors in public venues

• Around 65% of smokers in New Zealand have made a quit attempt in the last 5 years.
• High percentages of Māori, (67.8%) and Pacific smokers (59.9%) have made quit attempts in the last 5 years.
• Of smokers who had ever deliberately quit for more than a week, 36.3% did not make any quit attempts and around 33.4% quit once in the previous 12 months.
• Around 26.0% of smokers received some form of advice on how to quit smoking and 26.5% of smokers used some form of quitting product during their last quit attempt.
• Around 38.0% of people agree with the statement that smokers who fail to quit do not really want to quit, compared to 27.5% who disagree.
• Around 38.0% of people disagree with the statement that people should be able to quit without the help of programmes or products, compared to around 28.0% who agree with it.

• The mean age of smoking initiation among New Zealand youth is 14.6 years.
• Most youth smokers (74.2%) purchase cigarettes themselves.
• Two thirds, (66.7%) of youth smokers had their first cigarette with friends
• Significantly higher percentages of youths who smoke daily, report mothers, fathers, siblings or girlfriends and boyfriends as being smokers, compared to youths who have never smoked.
• Significantly higher percentages of Māori youth report mothers, fathers, siblings or girlfriends and boyfriends as being smokers, compared to non-Māori.
• Overall, the majority of youth, (72.3%) would not smoke if they had their lives over.
• Overall, around 85.0% of youth reported that they would not be smokers in their 20s.

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