Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has experienced a sharp decline in its protection against tobacco industry interference, according to the 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index for NZ released by the Cancer Society. Ranked second globally in 2023, NZ has fallen to 53rd place, reflecting weakened implementation of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The report attributes this decline to several government actions, including repealing the key smokefree “endgame” measures, reducing excise tax on heated tobacco products against official advice, and allowing a “revolving door” between political and tobacco industry roles.
To strengthen protections against tobacco industry interference, the NZ Index report recommends a whole-of-government approach to restore compliance with the FCTC, establishing a government-wide lobbyist register, and enhancing transparency by collecting and publicly reporting tobacco industry data such as revenue, political donations, profits, and marketing expenditure.