The latest drinking and smoking statistics show a dramatic rise in the ready-to-drink spirit market while smokers are also puffing more, taking the anti-smoking brigade by surprise.

Cigarette consumption went up one percent while tobacco sales rose 14 percent.

"We were hoping there would be a drop, particularly with the huge increase in taxation last year," ASH director Trish Fraser said.

The average smoker has 14 cigarettes a day and 26 percent of New Zealanders aged over 15 still smoke. The tax income for the Government is about $900 million a year.

Meanwhile, alcohol consumption is marginally down and there is a big change in what New Zealanders are drinking.

Five years ago few people had heard of ready to drink alcoholic beverages but now they are everywhere.

In 1996 almost four million litres of RTDs were sold but last year sales had skyrocketed to close to 25 million litres.

The growth in wine consumption is not so dramatic - up from about 63 million litres in 1996 to 72 million litres last year.

The amount of beer being drunk is down by almost four percent but more spirits are being consumed.

On average, every adult is consuming 150 litres of alcohol a year - 200 bottles of wine each.