Smokefree Milestone, At Last!

Celebrating steps towards Smokefree 2025 is how leading Māori public health agency, Hāpai Te Hauora, is greeting the passing of the new Smokefree legislation. The legislation aims to support people trying to quit smoking and make it less likely that young people will get addicted to cigarettes and live with the life-long consequences of tobacco-related harm.

Hāpai Te Hauora Chief Executive Officer Selah Hart would like to acknowledge and congratulate Hon. Minister Dr. Verrall for bringing this legislation to fruition, after years of advocacy from whānau, hapu, iwi and academics.

In 2010, the Māori Affairs Select Committee carried out an inquiry into the tobacco industry and the effects of tobacco use among Māori.

Their report made 42 recommendations, including setting a goal of making Aotearoa a Smokefree nation by 2025, reducing the use of additives and nicotine in tobacco products, and restricting the supply and availability of tobacco.

"Twelve years later, we finally have a government and a Minister, Hon. Minister Dr. Ayesha Verrall, with the political will and the determination to make this happen," says Hart.

Hart says many public health advocates such as Hāpai Te Hauora had long struggled to compete against the deep pockets and political influence of the tobacco industry and its supporters.

"The link between smoking and lung cancer was established in the early 1950s, yet even now people are still arguing for the right to profit from a product that kills about 5,000 New Zealanders every year and severely damages the health of many thousands more."

Hart said the Bill is an investment into population-based intervention instead of the historic focus on individual behaviour changes. This recognises the structural and environmental causes for smoking rates, and acknowledges the responsibility the government has for public health.

"Despite strong support from individual politicians, including Helen Clark during her time as Health Minister and ngā rangatira Dame Tariana Turia and Hone Harawira, it has taken far too long to get to where we stand today," says Ms. Hart.

"The whakapapa of this kaupapa is long and prestigious, and we thank those that have worked tirelessly before us to get us to this point. This world-leading legislation has the potential to offer direction for Indigenous people internationally who want to address similar disproportionate health inequities."

Hart cautioned that while the new legislation was a significant step forward, a lot of work was still required to achieve its objectives, including continuing to work with priority groups to meet individual needs of whānau who are trying to quit.

"The legislation and the regulations are necessary, and they will help, however we also need to build on existing supports that include Māori and community led health promotion and activation. Māori, Pacific, wahine hapū, rangatahi, and disability groups need to be prioritised and empowered to design and implement solutions with the necessary resources."

"All our efforts to this point have been building towards eliminating inequity and harm caused by smoking, and this Bill adds strength and purpose to our ongoing progress. We need to maintain that momentum - we can’t afford to slow down."

"It's now time to optimise the successes we’ve had this far, so let’s make this count."

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