November 27, 2017
Smokefree progress stalls
Action on Smoking and Health is concerned at the lack of progress towards a Smokefree New Zealand by 2025.
In the six years since the goal was set overall smoking rates have only declined 2.5 percent, and the latest New Zealand Health Survey figures show no significant change over the past year.
Programme manager Boyd Broughton says that’s despite increased taxes, removing tobacco displays, and mandating plain packs.
He says at the current rate of decline it will take until 2030 to get smoking rates under 5 percent, and for Maori it will take until 2050.
That is another generation of smokers, another generation of cancer, heart disease and avoidable deaths for Maori
Mr Broughton says the new Health Minister needs to hold the tobacco industry to account and strip it of its power to addict people to smoking.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com