March 18, 2015
Turia getting international tobacco tohu
Former associate health minister Dame Tariana Turia is heading for the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi, where will be presented with an international honour tomorrow.
The American Cancer Society chose Dame Tariana to receive the Luther L. Terry Award for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control.
Maori Party Co-leader Marama Fox says she pushed for increased tobacco excise taxes, banned tobacco retail displays and lowered the duty free allowance for cigarettes.
She also supported health campaigns, smoking cessation programmes and secured funding for an innovation fund to help reduce smoking in hard to reach communities.
Mrs Fox says the party is committed to continue her strong advocacy, and is battling to get National to move on the plain packaging legislation DameTariana introduced in to Parliament more than two years ago.
She says many New Zealanders and a disproportionate number of Maori are still dying of smoking-related illnesses.
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