Te Whatu Ora Intends To Terminate Contract With Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust Over Vape Product Policy

Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust is deeply disappointed to announce that Te Whatu Ora is intending to terminate our Stop Smoking Service contract, because we will not supply vape products to the Greater Wellington and Wairarapa community as part of our cessation service provision. This decision was communicated to us in writing by Te Whatu Ora, citing our refusal to supply vaping devices as the reason for ending the agreement and therefore failing to meet our obligations under our current Stop Smoking Service contract.

Takiri Mai te Ata Trust based at Kokiri Marae stands firm in upholding our tikanga and policies, which prioritises the health and wellbeing of our whānau through culturally grounded, evidence-based approaches. Supplying vape products conflicts with these principles and our commitment to eliminating harm in our communities.

“We believe in supporting whānau to quit smoking in ways that are safe, sustainable, and aligned with our values,” said Teresea Olsen General Manager at Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust. “Introducing vaping devices as a cessation tool raises serious concerns for us, including the long-term health impacts and the risk of perpetuating nicotine addiction.”

Takiri Mai Te Ata Trust has successfully delivered stop smoking services since 1998, helping hundreds of whānau on their journey to better health. We remain committed to advocating for approaches that respect tikanga and protect our communities from any harm.

Our stance is clear: We are committed to providing a safe Stop Smoking Service to our community, we will not compromise our tikanga or our policies. We believe it is our responsibility to protect our mokopuna and future generations from the harm caused by these products. The heavy-handed approach taken to force providers like us to breach tikanga is unacceptable and undermines the principles of partnership and respect that should guide health service delivery.

Importantly, Te Whatu Ora has known for several years that this tikanga is a core foundation of our Stop Smoking Service. When they renewed our contract in August this year, they did so with full knowledge that our policy and tikanga prohibit the distribution of vape products. This makes their decision to potentially terminate the contract even more concerning and raises questions about the integrity of the contracting process.

We call on Te Whatu Ora to reconsider policies that pressure providers to adopt practices inconsistent with Māori values and health priorities. Our whānau deserve solutions that are both effective and culturally safe.

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