But figures in the annual NZ Health survey show that the daily rate for Māori is still much higher: 19.9 per cent, against 22.3 per cent.
While tobacco smoking has declined, tobacco and e-cigarette use continue to grow, from 6 percent last year to 8.3 percent this year, with the highest use among 18 to 24 year olds
Māori public health organization Hāpai Te Hauora said more work was needed to help the country meet its 5 percent Smokefree 2025 target.
The smoking rate for non-Māori was 7.2 percent, and Hāpai Te Hauora wanted concentrated efforts to tackle inequality for Māori and Pasifika to be taken seriously by the government.
Chief Executive Selah Hart said there were multiple measures, including legislative action to restrict tobacco sales and supplies.
Although the number of smokers fell, vaping and e-cigarette use soared, especially among rangatahi aged 18 to 24.
About 22.9 percent of vapers were European, 21.7 percent were Pasifika, and 17.6 percent were Māori.
Hart said vaping was a double-edged sword: It was a useful tool for quitting, but it also introduced a habit for those who have never smoked.
“They’re just getting the nicotine … so on the one hand that’s really good because we’ve removed a whole bunch of chemicals that go into those whānau bodies,” Hart said.
“We now need to rethink and understand our strategy, okay, for those whānau who were people who have never smoked and are now vaping, what are we doing to protect them and keep them away from the potential addiction to nicotine from these vape devices?”
Hart wanted more education and a targeted approach from the government as the number of rangatahi vaping continued to rise.
Students were expelled and expelled for their vaping habits, she said.
“That’s definitely the wrong way to go about this. It needs a health response. It’s a health problem, it’s an addiction problem. We shouldn’t be punishing kids for their education rights because they have an addiction problem.”