If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- What is the aim of Smokefree Aotearoa 2025?
- What are health experts warning?
- When was Smokefree 2025 launched?
- What happened to smoking rates between 2011/12 and 2022/23?
- What do health professionals say?
- What happened in February 2024?
- What do health experts say about this change?
- What does the speaker say about rates of vaping?
3. Language focus: Describing trends
Now listen to the following part of the recording again and fill in the gaps. Then read the text to check your answers.
Smokefree 2025 was launched 14 years ago, and _________ _________, smoking rates _________ _________, _________ 16.4 percent _________ 2011/12 _________ 6.8 percent ________ 2022/23. However, in the last year, those rates _________ _________ _________ _________ _________, _________6.9 percent. Furthermore, a _________ _________ _________ Māori and Pacific peoples smoke, with rates of _________ percent and _________ percent _________.
Text
The plan called Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 aims to have less than 5 percent of the population smoking by December this year, but health experts are warning that that goal is unlikely to be achieved.
Smokefree 2025 was launched 14 years ago, and after that, smoking rates declined steadily, from 16.4 percent in 2011/12 to 6.8 percent in 2022/23. However, in the last year, those rates have remained almost the same, at 6.9 percent. Furthermore, a higher percentage of Māori and Pacific peoples smoke, with rates of 14.7 percent and 12.3 percent respectively.
This is causing health professionals some concern. They say that the country can only reach the Smokefree goal if 82,000 smokers quit smoking before the end of 2025, but that there is little chance of this happening now. They argue that the current policies on smoking are partly to blame for this and would like the government to review them.
In February 2024, the government repealed a law which banned the sale of tobacco products to those born after 1 January 2009, removed 95 percent of nicotine from cigarettes, and reduced the number of outlets able to sell tobacco from 6000 to 600. Health experts say that this change went against all the evidence and all the health advice and is one main reason that the Smokefree goal is unlikely to be achieved. They say that the government plan to provide free vape ‘starter’ kits to smokers will help fewer than 500 smokers. They also say that the previous policies were world-leading, but New Zealand has lost this positive image.
In addition, rates of vaping are increasing, particularly among young people. Some smokers have moved to vaping as a way of quitting, but some people who had never smoked cigarettes have started vaping and are now addicted to nicotine. Health experts say this is just shifting the problem from cigarettes to vapes.
If you want to listen to other stories on this topic, listen to Smoking and vaping rates from December 2024 and Smoking and vaping from April 2024.
Vocabulary
launch – to start something, usually something big or important
quit – to stop doing something
repeal – to officially end or remove a law
ban – to say that something must not be done
outlets – in this context, places which could sell cigarettes, such as supermarkets and dairies
vape – e-cigarette
be addicted to something – be unable to stop taking something, for example, a drug
Answers
1. What is the aim of Smokefree Aotearoa 2025?
To have less than 5 percent of the population smoking by December this year.
2. What are health experts warning?
That goal is unlikely to be achieved.
3. When was Smokefree 2025 launched?
14 years ago
4. What happened to smoking rates between 2011/12 and 2022/23?
They declined steadily, from 16.4 percent in 2011/12 to 6.8 percent in 2022/23.
5. What do health professionals say?
The country can only reach the Smokefree goal if 82,000 smokers quit smoking before the end of 2025, but that there is little chance of this happening now; the current policies on smoking are partly to blame for this and they would like the government to review them.
6. What happened in February 2024?
The government repealed a law which banned the sale of tobacco products to those born after 1 January 2009, removed 95 percent of nicotine from cigarettes, and reduced the number of outlets able to sell tobacco from 6000 to 600.
7. What do health experts say about this change?
It went against all the evidence and all the health advice and is one main reason that the Smokefree goal is unlikely to be achieved; the government plan to provide free vape ‘starter’ kits to smokers will help fewer than 500 smokers; the previous policies were world-leading, but New Zealand has lost this positive image.
8. What does the speaker say about rates of vaping?
They are increasing, particularly among young people.