The safety benefits from banning lighters in prisons would outweigh threats of violence over the planned smoking ban, a prison guard says.

A former smoker brought his diseased heart to Parliament for MPs to look at today, telling a select committee of his five heart attacks caused by smoking-related disease.

Threats to guards are already widespread as a result of the looming smoking ban, the Corrections Association says.

Squeeze on cigarettes is already causing fights, says a man just released from Waikato's Rangipo Prison.

Prison guards have been threatened with "the bash" when the ban on inmates smoking takes effect.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins today announced prisoners have 12 months to kick the smoking habit before a total ban comes in.

Smoking will be banned in all prisons from next year. Is this a good idea? Some say it could cause fights, others claim it will reduce lung cancer risks.

Department of Corrections bosses found taxpayers could be liable for lawsuits from prison guards exposed to inmates' second-hand smoke.

Wiping virtually all branding off cigarette and tobacco packets could prove crucial in turning teens off smoking, a NZ study indicates.

NZ smokers are exposed to much more nicotine from cigarettes than are Australians, possibly because of a preference for high-nicotine brands.

Research shows that "nannying" works, with a ban on smoking having a decidedly positive impact on individuals' lives

It's billed as the test to scare smokers into quitting, but now some public health groups say it may encourage some to keep on puffing.

New York - New York City anti-smoking signs depicting a decaying tooth, diseased lungs and a damaged brain violate cigarette vendors' free speech and should be removed, tobacco companies and retailers said in a lawsuit.