New Zealand’s latest numbers on youth vaping deserve far more global attention than they’re getting. According to the new Action on Smoking and Health survey, which includes more than 30,000 tenth-grade students, youth vaping has dropped by half since its peak in 2021. Monthly use, once above 20%, has significantly declined, and daily vaping now stands at 7.1%. Fewer than a third of teens report ever trying a vape. At the same time, youth smoking has nearly disappeared, sitting at around 1%. An extraordinary public-health achievement.

What makes this especially important is how New Zealand achieved it. The country didn’t turn to prohibition, scare tactics, or policies that push adults back to smoking. Instead, it adopted a balanced regulatory framework: strict enforcement of the age of sale to protect minors, clear product rules, and continued access for adults seeking far less harmful alternatives. They are also steadily moving toward becoming a smoke-free nation for adults. This is a clear victory for tobacco harm-reduction.

Social perceptions are also shifting, and as Professor Robert Beaglehole noted, “This is a major global success which we should be celebrating … we are leading the way,” he said. “Youth smoking has almost disappeared, and vaping continues to fall.”

Of course, there are still challenges to address, especially for Māori youth, whose rates of daily vaping remain higher than the national average, highlighting social inequalities that require broader and long-term solutions. But even with these nuances, the overall outcome is crystal clear: New Zealand is showing that it is possible to protect young people while still supporting harm-reduction strategies for adults. 

For those of us working with science, policy, and public communication, this is a valuable reminder that evidence should guide the debate everywhere. And when regulations are proportionate and grounded in facts rather than fear, progress follows and goes on.

As countries worldwide continue to struggle with rising misinformation and increasingly polarised debates, New Zealand’s example offers a crucial counterpoint. And if you’re a harm reduction activist, policymaker, or communicator, you should be talking about New Zealand. Their model shows that protecting youth and empowering adults are not opposing goals. They can coexist, and when they do, the results speak for themselves.