Pacific Groups Support Maori Stance on Tobacco

Pacific Groups Support Maori Stance on Tobacco
Embargoed to 3pm on Thursday 11 March 2010

Smokefree Pasifika Action Network (SPAN) and TALA PASIFIKA – National Pacific Tobacco Control Service are right behind Maori as they fight for action to be taken on a product that wipes out over 600 people from whanau, hapu and iwi each year.

The organisations - New Zealand's two largest collectives advocating for Pacific tobacco control – today presented arguments to the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Maori.

Josephine Samuelu of SPAN says smoking rates among Maori and Pacific peoples are very high, and Pacific communities are suffering the same devastating losses through tobacco use, as Maori communities.

“Over 31 percent of Pacific peoples smoke – well above the rate for European New Zealanders of 21 percent.

“This means that, like Maori, the Pacific population is losing matua far too early, to tobacco-related illness that are completely preventable. These loved and valued members of our community are the guardians of our cultural beliefs and practices, and their early loss has devastating consequences for younger generations.”

Both SPAN and TALA PASIFIKA told the Maori Affairs Select Committee they supported the Smokefree Coalition’s vision for a tobacco-free Aotearoa by 2020.

The document Achieving the Vision provides a comprehensively researched and time lined strategy for eliminating tobacco supply and demand while continuing to support smokers to quit.

Stephanie Erick from TALA PASIFIKA, said the Vision's key objective is to protect future generations from exposure to tobacco.

The most effective measures and those urgently recommended by SPAN and TALA PASIFIKA today, are the substantial increase of tobacco tax and legislation calling for the removal of tobacco products from retail display.

“Some of the revenue collected from a tobacco tax increase should go towards smoking cessation programmes for Pacific and Maori smokers, including pregnant women.”

The submissions from SPAN and TALA PASIFIKA can be found on the Maori Affairs Select Committee's webpage on the New Zealand Parliament website.

Achieving the Vision is available to download from the Smokefree Coalition website, www.sfc.org.nz/thevision.php.

ENDS