Hāpai Te Hauora is devastated by the latest New Zealand Health Survey, which shows Māori smoking progress has stalled for the first time in more than ten years. Māori leadership and tireless advocacy have saved countless lives, yet this data shows another barrier put in front of that progress.
Only days after the sector gathered to honour the people who have carried the smokefree kaupapa for decades, today’s data tells a different story.
“This doesn’t come as a surprise. Last week we stood together celebrating generations of advocates who fought to protect our people. Today we are met with data that feels like a slap in the face,” says Jacqui Harema, CEO of Hāpai Te Hauora.
What the new data shows
Daily smoking rate for Māori – increase
Māori prevalence 2023/24: 14.8 percent
Māori prevalence 2024/25: 15 percent, est. 99,000 adults
The new data shows Māori daily smoking has increased from 14.8% to 15% (around 99,000 adults), highlighting worsening tobacco harm. This harm is intensified in poorer communities, where smoking rates remain higher and tobacco outlets are far more concentrated than in wealthier areas – with Māori women in the poorest areas more than six times more likely to smoke daily than those in the wealthiest areas.
Why this stall matters
For the first time in more than a decade, Māori smoking is no longer declining.
“Tobacco still kills thousands every year in Aotearoa, and Māori bears the heaviest burden of that harm,” says Jasmine Graham, General Manager of Hāpai Te Hauora. “The concern is not the slight movement in the numbers; it is the loss of momentum. For the first time in more than ten years, Māori smoking hasn’t fallen. That tells us the environment around our whānau has become harder, not easier.”
Stalled progress means preventable harm stays at the same level, and inequities remain entrenched.
What caused this stall
This stall didn’t happen by accident. It reflects the environment Māori communities have been pushed into, shaped by poor policies and commercial pressures.
Aotearoa fell from 2nd to 53rd in the global ranking for protection against tobacco industry interference in the most recent Global Tobacco Index report[1]. Alarmingly, this is the biggest drop in global ranking in recent years.
“This is what happens when policies prioritise profit over people,” says Jasmine. “When protections are removed and industry interests are given space to grow, Māori communities feel the impact first and the impact hardest.”
Impact on Māori communities
Stalled progress leads to real harm:
- More preventable illness
- More deaths caused by tobacco-related disease
- More rangatahi exposed to nicotine
- Increased pressure on already stretched Māori health providers
- Greater risk of intergenerational harm
Where to from here
Hāpai Te Hauora is calling for urgent, equity-focused action.
1. Restore strong smokefree protections
Reinstate the measures proven to reduce Māori smoking, including fewer retailers and reducing the nicotine in cigarettes so they are no longer addictive.
2. Reduce access to harmful products
We are calling for:
- Removing tobacco from dairies
- A major cut in tobacco and vape retailers in poor areas
- Raising the legal purchase age to at least 20
These steps protect rangatahi and reduce exposure.
3. Invest properly in Māori-led solutions
Provide long-term, stable funding so Māori providers can plan, grow, and deliver effective support.
“Our communities and services on the ground have done everything asked of them,” says Jacqui Harema. “The halt in Māori smoking progress is a warning sign that cannot be ignored. It shows that when protections are removed, Māori carry the heaviest consequences. This moment can be a turning point, but only if decision-makers centre Māori health, restore strong protections and invest in solutions that already work for our communities.”
References
- Assunta, M., Dorotheo, U., Dela Rosa, Y., Sy, D., & Sandberg, E. (2025, November). Global Tobacco Index. Global Tobacco Index 2025. https://globaltobaccoindex.org/report-summary
