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As smokers face the impact of Tuesday’s 10 percent increase in the tax on tobacco products, Māori public health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora is suggesting they switch to vaping.
Tobacco control general manager Mihi Blair says while Hāpai supports the annual tax increase as a way to prompt quitting and reduce smoking uptake, it but could be more effective if it did not come at such a financially and psychological stressful time.
She says a more targeted approach is needed to address Māori smoking, especially with strategies for wāhine Māori, with 45 percent of Māori women still smoking in pregnancy.
Medical practitioner and smokefree advocate Hayden McRobbie says while the ideal is women should have smoke-free and vape-free pregnancies “vaping is likely to be much less harmful to both mothers and babies’ health than smoking, so if vaping is what helps you quit smoking then do that.’
Whānau who are wanting to learn more about vaping or going smokefree can contact QuitLine by texting Quit to 4006, online at quit.org.nz, or call 0800 778 778
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