New Zealand Nears Smoke-Free Status—Thanks to Vaping and Common Sense

While some countries are still battling over bans, taxes, and talking points, New Zealand is quietly on the brink of achieving something extraordinary: becoming one of the first truly smoke-free nations. And they didn’t do it with slogans or scare tactics—they did it with science, compassion, and harm reduction. 

At the center of this shift is Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, who recently delivered a powerful message to Parliament: the key to cutting smoking rates isn’t prohibition—it’s giving people a safer alternative. 

🚭 A Decade of Progress, Not Panic 

Since 2011, New Zealand’s adult smoking rate has been nearly cut in half, dropping from 13.1% to just 6.9% in 2024. That’s not a fluke—it’s the result of a deliberate public health strategy that embraced vaping and other smoke-free nicotine products as tools to help people quit. 

Instead of doubling down on outdated approaches, New Zealand backed a pathway that works. Smokers were supported, not punished. Alternatives like vaping were included in quit programs. And the results speak for themselves. 

💬 Cutting Through the Noise 

Minister Costello didn’t hold back. She criticized the "scaremongering" and ideological attacks that have made it harder for smokers to access life-saving alternatives. 

“There are long-term, addicted smokers who need to be given the tools and support they need to quit,” she told lawmakers. “Not slogans. Not virtue signaling. Real solutions.” 

Her speech has been praised internationally by public health leaders, including Dr. Delon Human, head of the Smoke Free Sweden initiative. Dr. Human called Costello’s leadership “a blueprint for what public health should look like,” adding that too many countries let moral panic override evidence. 

🌍 A Model for the World 

New Zealand is now following in the footsteps of Sweden, the first country to achieve “smoke-free” status (defined by the WHO as a national smoking rate under 5%). Sweden got there largely through the use of smokeless alternatives like snus and nicotine pouches. 

Now, New Zealand is proving that a harm reduction model can work outside of Scandinavia—and that vaping can play a central role.