Source: Radio New Zealand
More than 1200 adults were surveyed on their attitudes to nicotine and the government’s nicotine policy. 123RF
New research shows most New Zealanders want very low nicotine cigarettes reintroduced and two-thirds believe the tobacco industry influences government policy.
A low-nicotine cigarette policy was brought in by the last Labour government but was repealed by the Coalition.
The survey of more than 1200 adults conducted on behalf of Health Coalition Aotearoa found that more than two thirds believe the tobacco industry influences government policy, with over half wanting very low nicotine cigarettes reintroduced.
The group’s co-chair and professor of public health Chris Bullen told Morning Report “the government needs to wake up to this and take action accordingly”.
The coalition was reasonably confident it had an accurate snapshot of what New Zealanders were thinking about the new nicotine products that the government was introducing, along with their existing strategies, he said.
There was compelling evidence conducted in New Zealand and overseas that low nicotine cigarettes can help a large number of people who smoke to eventually quit smoking, he said.
“So they’re not less harmful than smoking cigarettes, they’re still combusting tobacco, but they help people to move away from smoking because there’s no nicotine so there’s no real benefit in them anymore.
“In conjunction with providing other sorts of nicotine that are safer, like nicotine replacement therapy, that can make a real difference.”
The survey showed support for expanding access to new nicotine products such as oral nicotine pouches was limited, with 46 percent of New Zealanders opposing the retail sale of nicotine pouches compared to 33 percent supporting it.
Not enough was known about nicotine pouches and introducing them as a means of smoking cessation was not based on evidence, he said.
Bullen said he believed their introduction was possibly being discussed at Cabinet level.
“We’re very concerned that the government’s moving to legalise and make those available in retail stores,” he said.
Retail availability of nicotine pouches would increase youth uptake 57 percent of survey respondents said.
Bullen said when nicotine pouches have been introduced in other countries they had proven to be very popular with young people.
New Zealand had gone backwards in terms of opening the door to tobacco industry lobbyists and of health lobbyists having any direct influence on smoking policies, he said.
Summary of survey’s findings
- 68 percent of respondents believe the tobacco industry influences government policy
- 57 percent believe nicotine pouch use among young people would increase
- More New Zealanders oppose than support retail sale of nicotine pouches (46 percent vs 33 percent)
- 55 percent support reinstating very low nicotine cigarettes
* The survey of 1247 New Zealand adults was conducted by Talbot Mills Research on behalf of Health Coalition Aoteroa in April 2026 has a margin of error or plus or minus 2.9%.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand