New Zealand Census
The New Zealand Census is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand, measuring the number of smokers in New Zealand.
Background
Tobacco smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of death in New Zealand and a major health-risk factor associated with the development of heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory problems. Cigarette smoking is the most prevalent form of tobacco consumption and is a key variable in assessing the current and ongoing health risk facing the population.
Definintions
Cigarette smoking refers to the active smoking of one or more manufactured or hand-rolled tobacco cigarettes, from purchased or home-grown tobacco, per day, by a person aged 15 years and over.
The term ‘smoking’ refers to active smoking behaviour, that is, the intentional inhalation of tobacco smoke. Smoking does not refer to, or include, passive smoking (the unintentional inhalation of tobacco smoke).
Cigarette smoking does not include:
- the smoking of tobacco in cigars, pipes, and cigarillos
- the use of e-cigarettes or vapes
- the smoking of any other substances such as herbal cigarettes or marijuana
- the consumption of tobacco products by other means, such as chewing.
Classification Criteria
Regular smoker - Someone who currently smokes one or more manufactured or hand rolled tobacco cigarettes per day.
Ex-smoker - Someone who does not now, but used to smoke one or more manufactured or hand rolled tobacco cigarettes per day.
Never smoked regularly - Someone who has never smoked manufactured or hand rolled tobacco cigarettes at all or smoked less than one per day.
Total people stated - Contains the number of people within the geographic boundary excluding ‘not elsewhere included’.
Not elsewhere included - Contains the residual categories of ‘response unidentifiable’ and ‘not stated’.
Total people - Containts the number of people within the geographic boundary.
Note: 2018 New Zealand Deprivation Index and score were also included at statistical area 1 and statistical area 2.
