Comparing the Successes of THR in New Zealand to the Current Situation in South Africa

New Zealand is poised to be one of the first countries in the world to become officially smoke-free, with a projected smoking rate of under 5% by 2030 and a current smoking rate of 6.8%. In stark contrast, the smoking rate in South Africa remains at a high 25.8%, with no indications of a significant drop occurring anytime soon. This matters for more than just the 2030 smoke-free goal - it matters for the reason behind the goal: public health. Due to its high smoking rates, approximately 42,000 people in South Africa died of smoking-related diseases in 2021.

A recent report, titled A Tale of Two Nations, highlights the gap between these countries and provides recommendations on how to bridge it. One of the most interesting aspects of this report is how it traces New Zealand’s journey to understanding and embracing THR strategies, which provides a clear pathway for other countries to replicate. The report shares how, in 2017, the New Zealand government first established an advisory group which led to important accommodations and regulations for vaping and heat-not-burn products. The government didn’t leave it at that. Showing their awareness of the need to spread knowledge and create a culture change, the Ministry of Health launched a website on smoking cessation in 2019 that focused on vaping as a viable and risk-reduced alternative on the road to quitting. This was further bolstered by a 2020 campaign called Vape to Quit that ‘actively promoted vaping as a smoking cessation tool.’

Rather than simply stating where things are and where they need to be, such a detailed timeline of how change happened in New Zealand - as well as a mirroring timeline of certain setbacks in South Africa - helps show countries how to craft a viable way forward. By learning from and adopting New Zealand’s harm reduction model, South Africa has the potential to make significant changes in a short amount of time.