Tobacco-related costs to the health system are estimated at $1.3-$2.1 billion per annum.
	Tobacco use is responsible for approximately 25% of cancer deaths in New Zealand.
	Smoking is responsible for the death of 5,000 New Zealanders each year (4,700 smokers and 300 from second-hand smoke.
	Half of all long-term smokers will die from a smoking-related disease.
	On average, smokers lose 15 years of life.
	The 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey shows that 19.9% of New Zealand adults was a current smoker. This is similar to Australia (19%) and the United Kingdom (22%).
	The prevalence of daily smoking has decreased from 23.4% in 2002/03 to 18.7% in 2006/07 (adjusted for age). This decline was for both men and women and across ethnicity groups.
	Despite this decline the burden of tobacco use is borne disproportionately by Māori (42.2% current smokers) and Pacific (26.9% current smokers) populations (18.6% of European/other are current smokers).
	Daily smoking among Year 10 students (14-15 years) has also decreased significantly since 2000 – 16.3% to 8.4% for girls and from 14.0% to 6.2% for boys.

What we are seeking to achieve

Tobacco control activities in New Zealand aim to:

	reduce smoking initiation
	increase quitting
	reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.

HSC’s current focus is on the first and second of these. Work over the past few years has resulted in substantial reductions in exposure to second-hand smoke, particularly in people’s homes, and the HSC will continue to monitor second-hand smoke exposure to make sure these achievements are sustained.




What we will do to achieve success

Over the next three to five years, HSC's tobacco control work will focus in two areas - youth and adults.

Youth
The youth work will provide information and messages to young people in order to:

	increase the skills of young people to refuse tobacco or quit, if they already smoke
	denormalise and deglamourise tobacco use by reducing young people's exposure to smoking behaviour
	increase anti-tobacco and pro-smokefree attitudes among youth, and their parents and caregivers and role models
	strengthen young people's associations with key social and cultural organisations that contribute to self-identities that exclude tobacco. For example, we will help increase young people's participation in school and community activities that reinforce Smokefree and Auahi Kore messages.

We will continue to promote Smokefree/Auahi Kore and quitting messages using celebrities (Smoking Not Our Future), working with the media and event organisers to promote Smokefree/Auahi Kore in a range of media and major youth events (eg, Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Pacifica Beats, and the Big Day Out), and working with schools.




Adults
The adult work will provide information and messages to all adult New Zealanders in order to:

	provide accurate and credible information about the facts and risks surrounding tobacco use
	increase knowledge about the benefits of tobacco control and a smokefree lifestyle
	maintain public support for tobacco control measures, including support for people who want to quit.

To increase pro-Smokefree/Auahi Kore and anti-tobacco attitudes and make Smokefree/Auahi Kore lifestyles and environments the 'norm', the HSC will continue to deliver Face the Facts.

Within Maori environments and settings (such as marae and kura kaupapa) the focus will be on increasing the acceptance of an Auahi Kore kaupapa.



Helpful information
Tobacco Control Facts at a Glance (August 2009) [677.5 KB pdf] – contains useful tobacco control facts such as the health effects of smoking, smoking rates in New Zealand, etc. Further references are also included for those who wish to obtain further information.

Beginner’s Guide to Tobacco Control [1.2MB pdf]– a comprehensive resource designed for New Zealand tobacco control workers new to the sector to get them up to speed quickly. The Guide includes information on key contacts, the history of tobacco control, public health and health promotion, research, smoking cessation and addiction, priority groups, effects of tobacco, including second-hand smoke, facts and figures, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and the tobacco industry.




Last updated: 31/08/09.