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Tobacco use is declining, according to a new survey that says just under a quarter of New Zealanders are smokers.
The 2008 New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey showed, after adjusting for age, 23.9 per cent of adults aged 15 to 64 smoked. The 2006 figure was 24.3 per cent.
Ministry of Health national director of tobacco control Ashley Bloomfield said while the drop was not statistically significant it confirmed a downward trend in smoking.
"This is good news. Even small reductions in smoking rates means thousands fewer smokers." she said.
Continuing to smoke carried a one-in-two risk of dying 15 years early, she said.
The Youth 2007 results released last week showed 7.8 per cent of secondary students smoked compared with 15.5 per cent in 2001. NZPA
