NZ Medical Association Thrilled About Bold Smokefree 2025 Action Plan

The NZ Medical Association is thrilled that young people who are 14 years old when the law comes into effect won’t join the more than eighty percent of smokers who wish they never started, NZMA Chair Dr Alistair Humphrey said this morning.

“The best way to become a smokefree Aotearoa is to prevent our tamariki taking up smoking in the first place,” Dr Humphrey said

“The Smokefree generation policy will be a defining moment in New Zealand’s respiratory health.”

The NZ Medical Association has been leading advocacy efforts to make Aotearoa a smokefree nation by 2025.

The NZ Medical Association strongly supports measures to make tobacco products less available, less affordable, less addictive, and less appealing - and to introduce a smokefree generation policy.

“Our 2017 position statement called on the Government to develop an action plan with a strong emphasis on Māori-focussed outcomes, and we congratulate Minister Verrall for her bold, innovative, and comprehensive plan announced today.

“Cigarette smoking kills 14 New Zealanders every day and two out of three smokers will die as a result of smoking.

“We believe that this action plan offers some hope of realising our 2025 Smokefree Aotearoa goal, and keeping our tamariki smokefree,” Dr Humphrey said.

To read our full submission on the draft Smokefree Action Plan, please click here.

The NZ Medical Association is New Zealand’s largest medical organisation with about 5000 members from all areas of medicine. The NZMA aims to provide leadership of the medical profession, and to promote professional unity and values, and the health of all New Zealanders.

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