A fresh approach is needed if New Zealand is to become smokefree by 2025.

Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall has released new proposals to achieve the goal.

They include scaling up initiatives such as mass media campaigns, and new policies to make smoked tobacco products less available, less addictive and less appealing.

One of those policies is to increase the age limit for tobacco, so that people under the age of 18 now will never be able to buy cigarettes legally.

Verrall says there are tremendous inequalities when it comes to tobacco. 

"Maori women are three times more likely than other groups to smoke, and they won't meet the smokefree goal until 2060 at the rate we're currently on."

Consultation is open until the end of next month.

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