Media release from NZAAHD

New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) is calling for stiffer measures to be placed on the tobacco industry, to help reduce the high number of young Maori smokers.

Addressing the Maori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry today, NZAAHD pushed for tighter restrictions on tobacco retailers and continued price hikes to put cigarettes out of the reach of young people.

Maddy Drew of NZAAHD says Maori smokers often become addicted at a young age.

"The tobacco industry argues that smoking is an adult choice - but this is false. By the time young Maori reach adulthood, they are often already addicted and continue to smoke throughout their lifetime. Collectively, they pay millions of dollars to the tobacco industry, while their health suffers significantly."

Recent surveys have shown that almost a quarter of 14 to 15 year old Maori girls smoke, compared to 8 percent of all female smokers of the same age. For boys, 13 percent aged 14 to 15 years smoke, compared to 6 percent of all boys.

Smoking is also a particular problem for Maori girls aged 15 to 19. Thirty-nine percent of Maori girls are smokers, compared with 18 percent of non-Maori girls.

Maddy Drew says young Maori are particularly vulnerable to the influences that lead to smoking.

"The median age for starting smoking is 14 years, but for Maori this drops significantly to 11.6 years. As young smokers find it harder to quit as adults, and maintain higher levels of tobacco intake, this is a huge threat to the survival of Maori culture."

The influence of family members who smoke has been shown to have an impact on the uptake of smoking amongst young people. Ninety-three percent of Maori smokers aged 15 to 19 years have reported that at least one of their family members smoke, compared to 75 percent of non-Maori smokers of the same age.

She says the impact of smoking on Maori communities cannot be underestimated.

"Around 22 percent of Maori deaths are attributable to smoking. The loss of leadership and knowledge of older generations will have enormous effect on rangatahi Maori and their connection to tikanga and understanding of their kaupapa.

"We need to act now to protect our current and future generations from the tobacco industry's greed. The industry has no incentive to support smoking reduction efforts among Maori - it needs to retain existing Maori smokers, and is likely to be targeting young Maori to recruit new smokers in the future."

NZAAHD also called for revenue from tax increases to be used for Maori cessation services and promotion of an Auahi Kore tobacco-free lifestyle.