Maori Women and Teens Smoke Daily
A major survey just released on youth smoking Hilton has revealed that one in five 15-year-old Maori females smoke on a daily basis. But the survey, conducted by anti-smoking group ASH, does show a general decline in the number of young people taking up the habit.
In New Zealand 13 people die every day from smoking and for many, the habit would have started young. That doesn’t seem to deter the 3000 14 to 15-year-olds that have a daily smoking habit.
“What is most worrying about it, is that these young people are likely to go on and continue to be smokers and have their life cut short as a result of developing that tobacco addiction,” says ASH director Ben Youdan.
The ASH questionnaire is the biggest youth smoking survey in the world, with 32,000 14 to 15-year-olds taking part. It found more than 5 percent have a daily habit.
But broken down to ethnicities, the numbers show nearly one in five female Maori year 10 students smoke each day.
“It is disappointing that our young people are still taking up smoking cigarettes,” says Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia.
“But it is a decrease.”
The rate has declined steadily since 1999, where 15 percent of year 10s smoked. But lobbyists say the decline appears to have plateaued.
“We are down to a third that we were 10 years ago, but that rate of decline has slowed a great deal and that has to be a real kick start in the real strong policies that will keep teenagers from smoking,” says Mr Youdan. With a 2025 goal to be a smokefree nation, Ms Turia is not holding back in blaming tobacco companies.
“I definitely think they target young people,” she says. “That’s unacceptable because cigarettes are not meant to be sold to anyone under 18.”
The claim was put to British American Tobacco a short time ago, who deny the accusation.
In a statement to 3 News, spokeswoman Susan Jones said:
“British American Tobacco New Zealand (BATNZ) does not manufacture or distribute products designed to appeal to youth and we do not believe anyone under 18 should smoke. BATNZ manufactures tobacco products for informed adult smokers who have made a decision to smoke.
“BATNZ believes that education is important to reduce smoking uptake among youth as opposed to other regulatory measures that may not be as effective. There should be increased emphasis on youth smoking prevention programmes, including specific communication to adults advising them not to supply tobacco products to people under the age of 18.”
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