7th May 2015

Young smokers taking a stand to support New Zealand to reach a smokefree 2025.

3 young Māori UNITEC students who are current smokers have united to form a consumer action group to support the journey towards the government supported goal of a smokefree New Zealand in the year 2025.

Arnia Tamihana – Simich says “I am a current smoker who knows that if I had never started I would be richer. The amount I have spent on cigarettes could have paid for my degree”

We have started our group to encourage other Māori to stop or not to start in the first place” We also want to support the government and the tobacco control sector to get initiatives right for young people so smoking is reduced”

Research suggests that 70% of current smokers actually want to stop. This action group will focus especially on Māori smokers and their real opinions and/or ideas on what they think will be most effective to help them stop in the area of community services, mass media campaigns, and policy changes such as tax increases. Everything that could support people to become and remain smokefree.

Charlotte Mihaere another member of the group states that “we think having a group which values smoker’s opinions on the matter is the most effective way to find these solutions. We invite all current smokers to be part of our group to have a voice on these issues, so we can influence the support we need to become smokefree”.

Ideally the founding group members would like to reclaim what New Zealand originally was – a Tupeka Kore Aotearoa or a tobacco free New Zealand. Founding member Tayla Jane Albert-Jones makes the point that “We have a clean, green and nuclear free image that New Zealand promotes, a tobacco free country would complete this image”.

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