Sportsman cigarette packet

This packet of cigarettes was marketed towards men interested in sport. A small health warning is printed on the side.

Smoking was initially considered therapeutic, but by the 1950s international research had established the link between smoking and lung cancer. New Zealand's Department of Health published posters linking cancer with smoking in 1948, but generally, the government was slow to control the tobacco industry. Tobacco consumption peaked in 1953.

From 1963, advertising campaigns began. Health warnings on cigarette packets appeared from 1974. Control programmes started in 1984 (the year in which Māori had the highest rates of lung cancer in the world). Quit smoking campaigns and smoke-free workplaces had much political support, and overall, numbers of smokers dropped.

In 1990, the Smoke-free Environments Act was passed to protect people from second-hand smoke; to reduce the harm caused to individuals by their smoking; to restrict access to smoking products by under 18 year olds; to promote a smoke-free lifestyle; and to regulate the marketing of tobacco products and events.