A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material,typically tobacco,that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end,causing it to smolder;the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opposite end. Cigarette smoking is the most common method of tobacco consumption. The term cigarette,as commonly used,refers to a tobacco cigarette,but the word is sometimes used to refer to other substances,such as a cannabis cigarette or an herbal cigarette. A cigarette is distinguished from a cigar by its usually smaller size,use of processed leaf,and paper wrapping,which is typically white. Most modern cigarettes are filtered,although this does not make the smoke inhaled from them contain fewer carcinogens and harmful chemicals.
Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled,as is done with cigarettes,or simply released from the mouth,as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to have begun as early as 5000–3000 BC in Mesoamerica and South America. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 17th century by European colonists,where it followed common trade routes. The practice encountered criticism from its first import into the Western world onwards but embedded itself in certain strata of a number of societies before becoming widespread upon the introduction of automated cigarette-rolling apparatus.
The Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand that prohibits smoking in all workplaces including offices,clubs,pubs,restaurants,airports,and schools.
Smoking bans,or smoke-free laws,are public policies,including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations,that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor workplaces and buildings open to the public such as restaurants,bars,office buildings,schools,retail stores,hospitals,libraries,transport facilities,and government buildings,in addition to public transport vehicles such as aircraft,buses,watercraft,and trains. However,laws may also prohibit smoking in outdoor areas such as parks,beaches,pedestrian plazas,college and hospital campuses,and within a certain distance from the entrance to a building,and in some cases,private vehicles and multi-unit residences.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a medically approved way to treat people with tobacco use disorder by taking nicotine through means other than tobacco. It is used to help with quitting smoking or stopping chewing tobacco. It increases the chance of quitting tobacco smoking by about 55%. Often it is used along with other behavioral techniques. NRT has also been used to treat ulcerative colitis. Types of NRT include the adhesive patch,chewing gum,lozenges,nose spray,and inhaler. The use of multiple types of NRT at a time may increase effectiveness.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the name of a number of autonomous pressure groups (charities) in the anglosphere that seek to publicize the risks associated with tobacco smoking and campaign for greater restrictions on use and on cigarette and tobacco sales.
Because of the damage to health due to smoking in the United Kingdom it may be the first country to ban sales of cigarettes to people born after 2008.
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vape is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer,a power source such as a battery,and a container such as a cartridge or tank filled with liquid. Instead of smoke,the user inhales vapor. As such,using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid,which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets,vapor and air. E-cigarettes are activated by taking a puff or pressing a button. Some look like traditional cigarettes,and most kinds are reusable. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin,usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies,and depends on several things including user behavior.
Banks Peninsula is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate which initially existed from 1996 to 2008,and was later recreated in 2020 ahead of the 2020 election. It was held by National's David Carter for the initial term,and then by Labour's Ruth Dyson from 1999 to 2008. As of 2023,the seat is currently held by National's Vanessa Weenink.
The use of tobacco for smoking in New Zealand has been subjected to government regulation for a number of decades. On 10 December 2004,New Zealand became the third country in the world to make all indoor workplaces including bars and restaurants smoke-free. The smoking rate in New Zealand was about 8% as of 2023 when the new government planned to eliminate the nation's smoking ban to fund tax cuts.
Smoking in Tokelau is prevalent,with ethnic Tokelauans having the highest smoking prevalence of all Pacific ethnicities. In the 2011 Tokelau Census,47.8% of people aged over 15 were found to be regular cigarette smokers.
The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking,weaken measures to control tobacco,and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes,because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits,but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did,as a result of chronic exposure",among other things.
Duncan Alexander Webb is a New Zealand lawyer and politician. He was elected as a Member the New Zealand House of Representatives for Christchurch Central,representing the Labour Party,in the 2017 general election.
The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum,on the question of whether to legalise the sale,use,possession and production of recreational cannabis. It was rejected by New Zealand voters. The form of the referendum was a vote for or against the proposed "Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill". Official results were released by the Electoral Commission on 6 November 2020 with 50.7% of voters opposing the legalisation and 48.4% in support.
The Smokefree Coalition was established as a national organisation in New Zealand in 1995 to advocate for tobacco control interventions by government and non-government organisations (NGOs). Its founding organisations were the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand,the Cancer Society of New Zealand,Action on Smoking and Health,Te Hotu Manawa Māori and the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand. It ceased operation on 30 June 2016.
Janet Anne Hoek is a New Zealand academic,she was promoted to full professor at Massey University in 2003 and was appointed full professor at the University of Otago.
Tracey Lee McLellan is a New Zealand politician. From 2020 to 2023,she was a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. She will be re-elected as a Member of Parliament on 6 February 2024 when list MP Kelvin Davis retires.
Ayesha Jennifer Verrall is a New Zealand politician,infectious-diseases physician,and researcher with expertise in tuberculosis and international health. She is a Labour Party Member of the New Zealand Parliament and a Cabinet Minister with the roles of Minister of Health and Minister for Research,Science and Innovation. She has worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Otago,Wellington and as a member of the Capital and Coast District Health Board. During the COVID-19 pandemic she provided the Ministry of Health with an independent review and recommendations for its contact-tracing approach to COVID-19 cases.
Karen Louise Chhour is a New Zealand politician. She has been a member of parliament for ACT New Zealand since the 2020 general election.
The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act 2022 is an act of the New Zealand Parliament that seeks to combat smoking by limiting the number of retailers allowed to sell smoked tobacco products;ban the sale of smoked tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009;and to discourage the consumption of smoked tobacco products. The bill passed its third reading on 13 December 2022 and received royal assent on 16 December 2022. The new National-led coalition government announced in late November 2023 that they intended to repeal the legislation.
