Roy Morgan Data Reveals Concerning Rise in Smoking Among Young Australians

Newly released data from research firm Roy Morgan has revealed a dramatic rise in cigarette smoking in Australia following the implementation of restrictive vaping laws – an outcome that should ring alarm bells for New Zealand policymakers.

The data shows cigarette smoking rates surged in the wake of new vaping bans with one in 10 young people aged 18–24 having picked up smoking – a 36% increase in less than 12 months. This sharp rise highlights the unintended consequences of making safer nicotine alternatives harder to access.

“This is a clear and sobering signal,” said VIANZ Chair, Jonathan Devery. “When you make it harder for people to access significantly less harmful alternatives like vaping, many will return to deadly combustible tobacco. And that’s exactly what we’re now seeing across the Tasman.”

With further restrictions recently introduced on vaping products, VIANZ is calling on decision-makers to closely monitor smoking rates to ensure we are not following Australia’s path.

“Public health policy must be grounded in evidence, not ideology,” said Devery. “The Roy Morgan data shows what happens when that balance is lost. Instead of reducing harm, the result is more smoking, more disease, and more lives at risk.”

Devery notes that New Zealand has made significant progress in reducing smoking rates, in part due to the availability of vaping as a less harmful alternative – and cautions that recent regulatory changes should be carefully assessed to ensure that progress is maintained.

“We cannot afford to go backwards on harm reduction,” Devery says. “The evidence is clear: access to regulated vaping products is a critical tool in helping people quit smoking. If that access is compromised, we risk undoing the gains we’ve made – opening the door for more people to be harmed by tobacco.”