Listen Now: 
A Maori tobacco control campaigner says the level of nicotine in New Zealand cigarettes needs to come down.
Zoe Hawke from Te Ara Ha Ora says latest analysis of census data showing the incidence of Maori smokers has dropped 10 percent since 2006 to just under 33 percent in positive.
She says there are always new smokers coming through, and the fact New Zealand has the second highest levels of nicotine in the world next to South Africa means people get addicted fast.
" If you take away that nicotine then your chances of wanting to continue to smoke and needing to continue to smoke are lowered. That's probably the most effective way that we are going to get our young people stopping a life time of smoking " he says.
Zoe Hawke says the drop in smoking rates shows that the target of a smokefree Aotearoa by 2025 may be achievable.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ZOE HAWKE CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjQ2MDM=
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
