Tobacco Facts 2002
Adult Smoking Survey
The following smoking prevalence information is derived from consumer surveys conducted by ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd in people's homes. These surveys include tobacco-related questions commissioned by the Ministry of Health. Smoking prevalence information relates to those aged 15 years and over. Further details about the survey are provided in Appendix 1.
Figure 1: Prevalence of cigarette smoking (%), ages 15 years and over, 1976-2001
Source: 1976 and 1981 Censuses of Population and Dwellings, Department of Statistics 1983-2000 ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
For tabulated data and notes, see Appendix 3
Note: Data are not age standardised.
Trends in cigarette smoking prevalence
- The decline in prevalence of cigarette smoking has slowed since the late 1990s. There has been only a slight (statistically non-significant) decrease in prevalence in recent years (1999: 25.5%, 2000: 25.2% and 2001: 24.9%) (see Figure 1 and Appendix 3). A continuation of the downward trend in adult smoking prevalence is suggested by data for the first quarter of 2002.
- In 2001, smoking prevalence among those aged 15 years and over was 25 percent for both males and females. (The ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd data used here are weighted to reflect the age, sex and household size characteristics of the 1996 Census population.)
- Note that unless otherwise specified, 'smokers' includes those who smoke, on average, less than one cigarette per day. In 2001, the prevalence of 'daily smokers' (those who indicate that they smoke one or more cigarettes per day) was 24 percent (for details see Appendix 3).
- Of cigarette smokers in 2001, 48 percent smoked solely ready-made cigarettes, 37 percent smoked solely roll-your-own cigarettes, and 15 percent reported smoking both types of cigarettes.
- The prevalence of smokers of any tobacco (including those who smoke cigars, cigarillos or pipe) is 25 percent.
- Other estimates of smoking prevalence include:
- in 1996, the Census of Population and Dwellings found that 23.7 percent of people 15 years or older were 'regular (that is, one or more per day)' cigarette smokers (Borman et al 1999)
- the 1996-97 New Zealand Health Survey (Ministry of Health 1999b), found that 25 percent (95% CI, 23.5-26.3) of adults were smokers of 'one or more tobacco cigarettes a day'
- in 1998, a telephone survey of 15-45 year olds found more than a third of those sampled reporting smoking one or more cigarettes per day in the last 12 months (Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit 1999).
International comparisons
- A comparison with OECD countries suggests the New Zealand adult smoking rate (26% in 1997) may be medium to low (although the definition of 'smoker' and survey method were not the same). A low smoking prevalence was found in Sweden (19%) the USA (20%), and Finland (24%). Higher smoking rates were found in Switzerland (33%), Norway (34%), and the Netherlands (35%) (OECD 2000).
- Recent data suggest that tobacco smoking among adults may be less common in Australia than in New Zealand. In 2001, 19.5 percent of Australians aged 14 years and over were daily smokers (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2002). The 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey collected most of the data through self-completion booklets delivered to households, with a lesser contribution from face-to-face and computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI). Results from the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey indicate a decrease since 1998 (21.8%).
Figure 2: Prevalence of male cigarette smoking (%), by age group, 1983-2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Notes:
1. Three-year rolling averages are used to smooth fluctuations in prevalence.
2. For tabulated data and notes, see Appendix 3.
Figure 3: Prevalence of female cigarette smoking (%), by age group, 1983-2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Notes:
1. Three-year rolling averages are used to smooth fluctuations in prevalence.
2. For tabulated data and notes, see Appendix 3.
Smoking prevalence by age group and gender
- There have been no sustained decreases in smoking for the younger age groups, but decreases are evident for the 55-year and over age group (Table 2 and 3).
- The highest smoking prevalence has generally been among those aged 25 to 34 years (Appendix 3, Figures 1 and 2). The exception has been the high prevalence among females aged 15 to 24 years in the 1980s.
- There has been a marked decrease in smoking prevalence among older age groups compared to the high prevalence in the 25-34 year age group (Appendix 3, Figures 1 and 2, and table 6). An exception occurred in the early 1980s when there was a high smoking prevalence among older males.
- Among the young, more females than males are smokers. For ages 15-24 years, smoking has persistently been more prevalent among females than males. For ages 25-34 years, male and female smoking prevalence has been similar. For ages 35 years and over, smoking has generally been more prevalent among males. It is likely that smoking will become more prevalent among females of all ages generally, as cohorts of females with a high number of smokers grow older.
Smoking prevalence among youth
- Smoking prevalence increases rapidly with increasing age during the late teens. At a younger age non-daily smokers are relatively common. (See Appendix 3. Caution should be used in interpreting these data as there are wide confidence intervals (CI) for these population groups with their relatively small sample sizes1.)
Figure 4: Prevalence of cigarette smoking (%), ages 15 years and over, by ethnic group, 1990-2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
For tabulated data and notes, see Appendix 2
Notes:
1. Data are not age standardised.
2. The classification of ethnicity information changed from 1997 onwards: ethnic-specific data before and after 1997 may not be comparable.
Smoking prevalence by ethnicity
- Smoking prevalence among European/Other decreased by roughly 3 percentage points from the early 1990s level. No such trend is evident for Maori and Pacific peoples (see Figure 4).
- In 2001, just over one person in five among European/Other (21.3%), around one in three Pacific people (30.6%), and one in two Maori2 (51.2%) were cigarette smokers. These differences decrease when the estimates are adjusted for the different age structures of those populations (Table 1)3.
Table 1: Age-standardised cigarette smoking prevalence (%) (15+ years), 2001
 | Maori (RR) | European/Other | Pacific (RR) | Total |
| Male | 44.0 (1.8) | 24.2 | 36.1 (1.4) | 26.8 |
| Female | 51.4 (2.1) | 23.8 | 23.8 (1.0) | 27.4 |
| Total | 48.6 (2.0) | 23.9 | 28.9 (1.2) | 27.1 |
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Notes:
1. Rates are age standardised using the WHO world population.
2. RR: rate ratio compared to European/Other.
Smoking prevalence by household income and labour force status
- The highest cigarette smoking prevalence is reported among those with low incomes and respondents indicating they were 'beneficiaries' (see Appendix 3, Figure 3 and 4).
Map 1: Prevalence of high and low regional smoking levels where 90% confidence intervals do not include average national values, 2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Notes:
1. The matching from TLAs to DHB regions is approximate only.
2. Prevalence was calculated by multiplying the crude New Zealand gender- specific rate by the indirectly age-standardised DHB region rate.
3. Light and dark shading represent indirectly age-standardised cigarette smoking prevalence, where the 90% confidence interval does not include the average male or female New Zealand rate.
Regional variation
- A previous regional analysis noted a clustering of areas of high smoking prevalence in the central and eastern North Island (Wilson and Borman 1998).
- In 2001, cigarette smoking prevalence, indirectly age-standardised by District Health Board (DHB) region, was high among males in Counties Manukau, Tairawhiti, Lakes and Nelson Marlbough and among females in Whanganui, Lakes and Hawkes Bay (with 90% CI not including the national average values).
Average number of cigarettes smoked per day
- When asked, 'on average, how many cigarettes do you smoke in an average day?', cigarette smokers most commonly indicated that they smoked five to nine cigarettes (23% of males, 34% of females see Figure 5). 'Cigarette smokers' includes smokers of ready-made cigarettes and smokers of roll-your-own cigarettes.
- Overall, 59 percent of cigarette smokers smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day and 33 percent smoked 10 to 19 cigarettes per day.
- Eight percent of cigarette smokers indicated smoking 20 cigarettes or more per day (11% of males, 6% of females see Figure 4).
- Male smokers aged 55 years and older tended to smoke most heavily, with 18 percent reporting that they smoked 20 cigarettes or more on an average day. In the same age group, 8 percent of women smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day (see Figure 5).
- It is estimated that during 2001, the average smoker smoked 12 cigarettes per day (males, 13 cigarettes per day; females, 12 cigarettes per day). Maori reported smoking 12 cigarettes per day, and European/Others 11 cigarettes per day, while Pacific respondents reported smoking nine cigarettes per day.
- During the last three years, the average number of cigarettes smoked per smoker per day has remained at 12 (see Table 1).
Table 2: Average number of cigarettes smoked per smoker, 1997-2000
| Year | Average number of cigarettes smoked per day |
| 1997 | 13.1 |
| 1998 | 13.6 |
| 1999 | 12.1 |
| 2000 | 11.9 |
| 2001 | 12.1 |
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Figure 5: Distribution of smokers by number of cigarettes smoked on an average day by gender, 2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Figure 6: Average number of cigarettes smoked per day, by age group and gender, 2001
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Prevalence of cigar and pipe smoking
- In 2001, the prevalence of pipe smoking was found to be 0.3 percent (95% CI, 0.2-0.5).
- In 2001, the overall prevalence of cigar smoking was 1 percent (males 1.4%, females 0.2%).
- During the five years since 1997, no trend is apparent in the prevalence of cigar smoking (see Table 2).4
Table 3: Prevalence (%) of cigar smoking, 1997-2001
| Year | Prevalence |
| 1997 | 1.0 (0.7 - 1.2) |
| 1998 | 1.0 (0.7 - 1.2) |
| 1999 | 0.9 (0.7 - 1.1) |
| 2000 | 1.0 (0.8 - 1.2) |
| 2001 | 0.8 (0.6 - 1.0) |
Source: ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd
Notes:
1. Data are not age standardised.
2. The annual estimate is the average of the pooled year's data.
3. The 95 percent confidence intervals are presented in parentheses.
1 Calculation of confidence intervals has taken account of the clustered nature of the data using the statistical software package SUDAAN, except for the indirectly age-standardised rates of smoking by DHB region, labour force status and household income.
2 The Maori adult cigarette smoking rate (51.2, 95% CI 47.9-54.4) can be contrasted with the non-Maori adult cigarette smoking rate (21.4, 95% CI 20.4-22.3) (note: these values are not age-standardised).
3 Comparison of smoking prevalence among these populations with larger proportions of young Maori and Polynesian people than European/Other is aided by correcting for the differing age structures (age standardising involves applying the age specific rates in a study population to a population with a standard age structure).
4 This contrasts with information from 'annual tobacco returns' later in this report, which indicates increasing amounts of cigar tobacco sold to retailers during that period. It could be that a similar number of cigar smokers now consume a greater number of cigars per day.
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