Pathways to Smokefree New Zealand and Australia

New Zealand and Australia both have a goal to reduce adult smoking to under 5%. New Zealand by 2025, Australia by 2030. Other than vaping laws, the two countries also have almost identical tobacco control policies. New Zealand has some of the most liberal vaping laws in the world with products widely available. Australia, by contrast, has among the most stringent vape laws, banning nicotine vapes without a medical prescription whilst cigarettes remain widely available. Daily smoking prevalence is falling at record rates in New Zealand, almost halving in the last 5 years to 6.8%, mirrored by a rise in vaping. Smoking rates in Australia have stagnated at around 12%, but youth and adult vaping are still increasing.

This talk will examine the impact and policy learnings of New Zealand and Australia’s contrasting approaches to harm reduction. This will include the role and relevance of New Zealand’s planned ‘endgame’ laws of mandatory de-nicotinization of all tobacco cigarettes, 90% reduction in tobacco sales, and a smokefree generation law. These yet to be implemented laws are to be repealed in 2024 following a change in government.  Why did these world first policies fail to survive a change in politics? Should we give up hope, or can we still achieve our goals?