The North Island city of Gisborne has the unwanted title of being New Zealand's worst location when it comes to how much of its population smoke.
Latest New Zealand Health survey data reveals about 30 percent of residents aged 15 and over in the Tairawhiti District, which is based in Gisborne and covers between the East Cape and the Wahrerata ranges, are smokers.
In comparison, about 15 percent of the entire New Zealand adults smoke daily.
"Around 5000 people die each year in New Zealand because of smoking or second-hand smoke exposure," Ministry of Health tobacco control manager Jane Chambers said.
The South Island's West Coast was the second worst performing area in the country at 25.5 percent.
The Lakes District (Taupo and Rotorua) came in at third with 25 percent of its residents smoking, and Capital & Coast (Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti), Auckland and Waitemata have the lowest rate of smoking in the country at 11.3, 11.4 and 12.5 percent respectively.
Next best are Canterbury and Counties Manukau at 14.8 and 15.2 percent, followed by Hutt Valley at 16.6 percent.
A 2017/18 New Zealand Health survey estimated about 581,000 New Zealand adults were smokers (15 percent), down from 20 percent in 2006/7.
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Chambers said adults living in the most socio-economically deprived areas were three times as likely to be smokers than people living in the least deprived areas.
Thirty-three percent of Māori adults were also current smokers, she said, as well as 23 percent of Pacific adults.
"The Government is committing to making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025 and the Ministry of Health is supporting this goal.
"New Zealand's tobacco control programme has had a significant impact on reducing the harm for most New Zealanders."
New Zealand's worst and best performing areas (percent)
Worst
- Gisborne: 30
- West Coast: 25.5
- Lakes (Taupo and Rotorua): 25
- Hawke's Bay: 23.5
- Whanganui: 22
Best
- Capital & Coast (Wellington, Porirua and Kapiti): 11.3
- Auckland: 11.4
- Waitemata: 12.5
- Canterbury: 14.8
- Counties Manukau: 15.2
Newshub.
