Media release from Cancer Society

World Smokefree Day (Tuesday 31 May) is the perfect time to announce the two New Zealanders accepted onto the American Cancer Society's global cancer ambassador programme.

As part of the We Can, We Should, We Will Conquer Cancer Campaign, the American Cancer Society selected Paula Snowden and Hiria Rolleston to attend training in New York City, along with 100 others, in meeting with decision makers.

Nominated by the Cancer Society of New Zealand, both Ms Snowden and Ms Rolleston have been involved in the tobacco control environment for some time and are no strangers to the role of advocacy and working to influence changes in legislation.

Paula Snowden is Chief Executive of The Quit Group which runs the national Quitline. Asked what she sees as the main thing this country can do to address cancer she responds, "continue the excellent subsidy of nicotine replacement!" However Ms Snowden sees other issues such as no retail displays, plain packaging and 'denormalising smoking for children as important parts of the strategy. "We still have a way to go."

Hiria Rolleston former National Tobacco Control Manager at Te Hotu Manawa Māori says, "the reason I am so passionate about this is due to the fact that I lost my mother when I was 11. All her siblings have had cancer and are now gone, and then yesterday as I was on my way to run a Cessation Training I got news that my cousin now has lung cancer.  I feel a responsibility to help educate people on the impact of smoking and cancer! I wouldn't wish any child to have to go through what I did seeing my mother die from lung cancer.  It's horrible!

Smoking is a high risk factor for cancer among Maori therefore we need to look at increasing services like Aukati Kai Paipa and improving the knowledge and skill base of the wider Maori workforce to provide access to support for Maori who want to quit smoking."

Dalton Kelly Chief Executive of the Cancer Society says, "we are delighted to see two high-powered Māori women attending such an important training opportunity, especially considering the high smoking rates of Māori women. We are picking one of the outcomes will be the commitment to reducing the number of people who smoke and a renewed commitment to making this county Smokefree by 2025."

The pair will also have the opportunity to meet with the New Zealand mission attending the first-ever United Nations General Assembly Summit on Non-communicable Diseases. Being hailed as the biggest and best opportunity to put non-communicable diseases on the global agenda, the summit will be attended by heads of states and governments from around the world.

The focus will be on the four most prominent non-communicable diseases, namely cancers, cardio-vascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. These will be looked at in relationship to the most common risk factors being tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and environmental carcinogens.

http://www.ncdalliance.org/node/3208