Tasmania has one of the highest rates of smoking in Australia, and in a bid to change this the government has launched its tobacco action plan that aims to help people quit as well as prevent smoking take-up.

Smoke-Free Tasmania adviser Kathryn Barnsley said she was impressed with Mr Rockliff's "genuine commitment" to take action on the issue.

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She said smoking and vaping were significant health issues in Tasmania.

"We have pockets of problems that are quite serious, for example, a quarter of our young men in the age group 25 to 44 are smokers in Tasmania," Dr Barnsley said.

"This is an age group of young fathers and we don't want them smoking around children or their pregnant wives and partners, so it is quite important that we reduce smoking rates in that particular group, and we need to do some work on that," she said.

The other issue raised by Dr Barnsley is smoking while pregnant, with half of all pregnant teenagers aged under 20 smoking in Tasmania.

"We have one of the highest rates of pre-term babies in Australia, that is almost certainly due to smoking rates in pregnant women," she said.

Dr Barnsley said raising the legal cigarette and vaping purchasing age to above 18 years could prevent smoking take-up.

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"Schools that have years 11 and 12, like district schools, are much vulnerable to having vapes and cigarettes distributed to younger children. Over 18s can legally buy the cigarette and vape products, and sell them to kids," she said.

Mr Rockliff said the government wants to reduce the number of people smoking, decrease access to smoking products, and create more smoke-free environments.

"We want a Tasmania where young people are not growing up exposed to smoking, where supportive environments ensure that people do not take up smoking, and where encouragement is provided for people to quit these addictive products," Mr Rockliff said.

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