Youth smoking has basically ended

In 2013/14 the youth smoking rate for 15 to 17 year olds was 8.9% or 1 in 11 youth. In the latest NZ Health Survey results it is down to 0.7% or 1 in 140 youth. There is little doubt that this is because more youth are vaping instead of smoking. And while it is best if people neither vape nor smoke, vaping is far far less harmful than smoking.

This drop to 0.7% is great. If kids don’t start smoking when under 18, then they might never start.