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October 30, 2013
More effort needed to reach smokefree target
Waatea Team
Posted On October 30, 2013
A leading anti-smoking advocate says last week’s Oceania Tobacco Control Conference was a huge boost for efforts to make the region smoke free.
Marewa Glover says she was heartened by the large turnout of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island delegates, whose efforts have been boosted by a $100 million infusion.
There was also a side meeting of Pacific Island leaders who adopted New Zealand’s goal of being smoke free by 2025.
Dr Glover says that will take some fresh ideas and some hard-hitting public awareness campaigns.
"It’s not achievable if we keep doing the same things that we've been doing. If we keep delivering and offering cessation support, one-on-one intensive like one hour counselling sessions. You know we really have to try and get to more people and help more people quit. The catch-cry now needs to be every smoker once a year needs to quit, at least try and quit once a year," she says.
Dr Glover says there are still 650,000 smokers left in New Zealand, and tobacco cessation efforts are only reaching about 15 percent of them.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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