Whaiora Quit Smoking services team leader Adam Bain said the services should be available to younger smokers. "The exact same services that we're running now, I think should be able to be offered to those smokers in that age bracket. They should be able to access specialised quit-smoking programmes.
"Other GP practices have free quit services but I think they're pretty much the same and don't do that age group. There's no one dedicated to working with young people around this," Mr Bain said.
There were issues around parental consent. "Some of the feedback from the youth is it would be great - 'I do want to do that programme but it'll need parental consent and don't do that because my parents don't know I smoke and I'll get in trouble'."
The numbers of youths smoking were a big concern "because the research shows the earlier you start the harder it is going to be to give up further down the track".
Whaiora educated youths about the risks of taking up smoking but that did not help those already addicted.
"It's geared at educating you not to take up the course of smoking ..." He would like to see more dedicated programmes in Wairarapa schools. "We do go into the schools. We do speak to youths about smoking but we'd probably like that to be more regular and to be able to access all the schools in the Wairarapa."
Mr Bain said Quitline had services for those under 18. "There is a service [with Quitline] available for 12 to 18-year-olds to access, so that's where they can access that support."
Wairarapa and Hutt Valley District Health Board chief executive Graham Dyer said the numbers were too high. "Ideally, we'd have the numbers lower." The DHB ran a general smoking cessation programme through Wairarapa Hospital.
"Wairarapa has one of the highest rates in the country for these interventions being applied," he said.
The DHB also worked with police in sting operations to target places selling cigarettes to underage kids.
Despite the high numbers of youth smokers, Rathkeale College principal Willy Kersten said smoking was less socially acceptable among young people - with increasing numbers of students viewing it as uncool. He said a small number would always think it was "cool to smoke".
"There will be those who do so in a social setting only, and then through the week they probably won't go anywhere near it.
"But by and large, I have no doubt that more and more people ... generally accept the fact that it is not the right thing to do and don't do it," Mr Kersten said.
Quitline chief executive Paula Snowden said smokefree policies guarding public places would help prevent youngsters taking up the habit. "Young people in particular, those under 25, are bombarded with product placement around tobacco. It's just everywhere," she said.
The tobacco industry wanted to normalise cigarette smoking, "so when you can legitimately access it, you think it's a natural thing to do as a grown-up".
"They're not addicted by accident. They're addicted by design," she said.
Ash director Ben Youdan called for more funding for anti-tobacco mass media campaigns.
"We're seeing the stark reality that youth smoking rates do need strong messages behind them to keep smoking rates falling."
Between 2008 and 2012, government funding for anti-tobacco mass media reduced from $8.2million to $5.1million - undercutting the goal of reducing youth smoking rates and making New Zealand smokefree by 2025, Mr Youdan said.
The survey also showed that Maori and students from poorer areas were more likely to smoke.
One in nine Year 10 Maori students smoked compared to an estimated one in 50 European students.
About 9 per cent of low-decile students identified themselves as daily smokers, compared to only 2 per cent at high-decile schools.
