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New path to quit smoking
Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
Associate Minister of Health
1 July 2016 Media Statement
New path to quit smoking
The Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has announced a major change to quit smoking services in New Zealand.
“Smoking rates have halved overall in the last 30 years. But there are still 550,000 New Zealanders who smoke each day. Business as usual will not see these people stop smoking,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
Approximately $12m is used for frontline cessation services, advocacy and training. From today, the Ministry of Health will put more funding into frontline services and less into advocacy.
“There is no reduction in overall funding for smoking cessation, advocacy and training services. However, it is being distributed differently. I expect the new services will help more people to quit smoking,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
“The Ministry of Health conducted an external review which recommended a realignment of frontline services to focus on at-risk Maori and Pacific communities, and pregnant women, where it is sadly still true that too many continue to smoke.”
35 per cent of Maori and 22.4 per cent Pacific people smoke daily.
“There will be a range of new partnerships between DHBs, Māori and Pacific providers, primary care practitioners and whanau ora collectives as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to better support more people to quit smoking,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
One national provider, Hāpai te Hauora, will deliver advocacy services.
“Some of the organisations which have helped us on our journey to reduce tobacco use have not secured new MoH contracts. I acknowledge their role to date and I hope that where possible they can still be part of helping New Zealanders to quit smoking.”
“All of the new stop smoking services will have a transition service available from today” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
Quitline is not affected by the realignment process and continues to offer 24/7 help as part of the Telehealth service.
For more detail on the new services, see:
ENDS
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