31 May 2002
Hon Tariana Turia
Speech Notes

Tena koutou nga mata waka e whakarauika nei, i raro iho i nga manaakitanga o te mana whenua. Tena koutou.

Thank you for your invitation to speak this morning.
I know many of you have taken time out of your busy schedules to attend this morning’s breakfast launch.

Others have a long, and interesting day ahead, with the continuation of the Primary Focus forum, here in the Wellington Convention Centre.

Clean air Wellington, a city attempting to establish a smoke free Cable Car Lane.

I have been invited by the National Health Committee to launch the Revised Guidelines for Smoking Cessation. The launch is timely given that today is World Smokefree Day.

The launch is a chance for us all to recognise the important issue of reducing the consumption of tobacco and smoking prevalence in New Zealand.

Reducing smoking is an essential part of this Government’s programme for improved health in Aotearoa and is included as one of the thirteen population health objectives outlined in the New Zealand Health Strategy.

A significant development since the publication of the 1999 Guidelines for Smoking Cessation, has been the government’s decision to fund subsidised nicotine patches and gum through the Quitline and smoking cessation providers.

This means that nicotine replacement therapy is more accessible for people who want to give up smoking. The results have been excellent.

Another exciting initiative is the Aukati Kai Paipa programme - a free smoking cessation service, offering an eight-week programme of advice, support, whanau involvement, nicotine replacement therapy and other interventions to support individuals and whanau to quit smoking.

An initial evaluation of this programme indicates that it has been highly successful among tangatawhenua women and their whanau.

The Revised Guidelines for Smoking Cessation are designed for providers and health professionals to assist clients with smoking cessation. They provide valuable information about steps to providing advice and assistance and information about smoking cessation services and resources that are available in New Zealand.

On behalf of the National Health Committee it is with great pleasure that I launch the Revised 2002 Guidelines for Smoking Cessation. I hope these Guidelines will be used as widely as the 1999 Guidelines have been.

I wish you good health for the rest of your day.

Na reira, tena koutou.

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