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The Maori Party wants the Government to stop delaying and pass the bill requiring plain packaging of tobacco.
The bill was introduced by former associate health minister Tariana Turia and was reported back from the select committee last August, but National says it won’t go further until the outcome is known of two cases challenging Australia’s plain packaging law.
That won’t be until mid-2016 at the earliest.
However, new research shows the prevalence of daily smoking in Australians aged 14 or older dropped from 15.1 per cent to 12.8 per cent when the ban came on.
Now Ireland has gone ahead an passed a plain packaging law.
Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says that shows the wind is blowing against the tobacco giants.
"We shouldn’t have to wait around because the longer we wait around the more people are being affected by cancer and the affects of smoking. So we say to the government, get on with it hurry up, let's have plain packaging as a part of that whole campaign to go to 2025 being Aotearoa Smokefree," he says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TE URUROA FLAVELL CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjY3NDQ=
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