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. Are these statements true or false?
a. Smoking rates have dropped more quickly in older age groups.
b. Smoking rates have decreased among all ethnic groups in New Zealand.
c. Experts think New Zealand is likely to achieve its goal of becoming Smokefree by 2025.
d. Vaping rates have increased among almost all age groups.
e. In the seven days of the survey, 26% of year 13 students vaped.
f. Most students who vaped bought their vapes from shops.
3. Listening to understand common English words
Listen again to the final section of the text. As you listen, write the missing words, which are all common English words (first 2000 word list). Then read the text to check your own answers.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation made ________ _________ in their report, __________ funding _________ programmes to help students quit vaping, __________ the nicotine content in vapes, __________ the legal age to buy vape __________ to 21 years of age, and __________ the sale of vapes _________ one __________ of schools.
Text
Recent surveys have shown that smoking rates are lower than a decade ago, but vaping rates are continuing to rise.
The results of the Annual Health Survey, by the Ministry of Health, were released in November. They showed that the prevalence of daily smoking was 6.9 percent in 2023/24, which was almost the same as in 2022/23, but down from 16.4 percent in 2011/12. The estimated number of people who smoked daily decreased from 573,000 in 2011/12 to 300,000 in 2023/24. Daily smoking has decreased more quickly in younger age groups, such as 15-17 year olds and 18-24 year olds. In addition, daily smoking has declined in all ethnic groups in New Zealand: the percentage of Asian adults who smoked daily fell from 7.9 percent in 2011/12 to 3.8% in 2023/24, that of European adults declined from 14.7 percent to 6.1 percent, that of Pacific adults dropped from 22.6 percent to 12.3 percent, and that of Māori adults decreased from 37.7 percent to 14.7 percent.
New Zealand has a goal of being Smokefree by 2025, which is usually defined as having a daily smoking prevalence of below 5 percent for all population groups. Public health experts now say that it is unlikely that this goal will be achieved, unless there are dramatic falls in smoking, particularly among Māori and Pasifika. They say that the previous government’s plan to remove nicotine from cigarettes and limit the number of outlets selling tobacco could have achieved the goal, but the current government abandoned that plan.
According to the Annual Health Survey, daily vaping increased in all age groups from 2015/16 to 2023/24, except those aged 75 and over. The estimated number of daily vapers rose from 33,000 to 480,000 in that period. Daily vaping increased more quickly in younger age groups, especially those aged 15-17 and 18-24 years, and among Māori and Pacific adults. In 2023/24, the prevalence of daily vaping was 6.2 percent in Asian adults, 9.8 percent in European, 21.5 percent in Pacific, and 28.8 percent in Māori adults.
Another survey, conducted by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, looked at vaping rates among young people over a period of seven days. It found that overall vaping rates in those seven days among children in years 9 to 13 (aged 13-18) dropped significantly, from 26.6 percent in 2021 to 12.2 percent in 2023. However, the percentage of year 13 students who vaped in that period more than doubled from 12.6 percent in 2021 to 26 percent in 2023. Furthermore, 3.7 percent of year 7 students, aged between 10 and 12, said they vaped in the last seven days. According to this survey, in that period, 19.7 percent of Māori students vaped, 16.1 percent of Samoan, 12.5 percent of Chinese, 11.3 percent of Indian, and 10.7 percent of NZ European students. The greatest proportion of students who vape obtain their vapes from friends, but 24.6 percent are buying them directly from vape stores or dairies, even though it is illegal to sell vapes to those under 18. Some students report feeling addicted to vaping, even waking in the middle of the night to vape.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation made several recommendations in their report, including funding support programmes to help students quit vaping, limiting the nicotine content in vapes, raising the legal age to buy vape products to 21 years of age, and preventing the sale of vapes within one kilometre of schools.
Vocabulary
vaping – using e-cigarettes
vapes – e-cigarettes
prevalence – being very common at a particular time, in a particular place, or among a particular group of people
outlets – in this context, places which could sell cigarettes, such as supermarkets and dairies
abandon – to stop doing something. Here, abandon a plan means to decide not to continue with the plan
Answers – part 2
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