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Media Release

Strictly embargoed to 6am, Wednesday 31 May 2006

Maori endangered species says Te Reo Marama

Te Reo Marama (the Maori Smokefree Coalition) is calling Maori an endangered species, in a new advertising campaign they are launching today to commemorate World Smokefree Day.

“We’re being deliberately provocative,” Director Shane Bradbrook said today.

Te Reo Marama started their campaign earlier this year with print advertisements themed “Maori Murder”, which ran in Maori media.

“We had a huge and positive response to those advertisements, locally and internationally,” Mr Bradbrook said. “We’ve had to reprint posters to keep up with demand from Maori health workers.”

Te Reo Marama says it is about shifting the blame for smoking away from smokers, and focusing on tobacco companies.

“This vile industry is allowed to sell poison, which results in a huge number of Maori and non-Maori deaths. Why in the 21st Century are they still operating?”

Te Reo Marama’s new advertisements run in the New Zealand Herald and the Dominion Post this morning and encourage all New Zealanders to “join the tobacco resistance movement”.

ENDS