Not enough Kiwis quitting smoking - study

  • 14/12/2018

Research has revealed we're not on track to be a smokefree country by 2025.

Otago University researchers say 17,000 more people would need to quit smoking each year until then, on top of the current rate.

Author Prof Nick Wilson says some communities are further behind than others.

"We estimate that we'd need five times more quitters per year for Māori - that's an extra 8000 quitters a year; and for non-Māori, an extra 9000 quitters per year… In contrast we estimated that the Quitline and funded face-to-face smoking cessation services are only generating 2000 Māori and 6100 non-Māori long-term quitters per year."

That's only 19 percent of Māori and only 34 percent of the non-Māori quitters required to reach the goal, defined as fewer than 5 percent of the adult population using cigarettes.

But he says there's still time to turn it around if the Government invests a lot more into the effort - and that could help the Government meet other targets it's set for itself.

"Some of these actions which would reduce the amount of smoking could help with the Government's other goals, such as to reduce child poverty," said Prof Wilson.

"If they are serious about this goal, they should invest much more in this particular area. There's potentially still time."

Prof Wilson says public campaigning has been effective overseas, and so have the annual tax excise increases here - which must continue.

The study was published Friday in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

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