media release

Hapai Te Hauora welcomes long overdue review into pokies

The Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti launched a review into pokies today. There will be a focus on increased penalties for venues which are non-compliant with the rules legislated in the Gambling Act 2003, and strengthening of host responsibility requirements for venues. This will also require physical changes within gambling venues that require ATM machines to be in the line of sight of staff, and no visibility of pokie machines from outside a venue.

Hāpai Te Hauora backs the launch of a fresh youth vaping campaign ‘Protect your breath’.

Today is the launch of ‘Protect your Breath’, the start of a three year youth vaping campaign that aims to breathe new understanding and energy into kōrero about vaping - by placing rangatahi at the heart of the mahi, every step of the way. Facilitated by the Hā Collective, who undertook a meaningful consultation process to survey students through the Tūturu schools programme and then co-design with a diverse range of rangatahi across the motu to bring ‘Protect Your Breath’ to life.

Liquor law changes can’t come soon enough

Public health agency Hāpai Te Hauora is welcoming the government’s plans to make it harder for alcohol companies and supermarkets to stop local communities from deciding the rules governing the sale of liquor in their area.

Hāpai Te Hauora Chief Executive Officer, Selah Hart said the current regime has created a David and Goliath situation, with small town councils and community boards having to battle multinational liquor companies and the supermarket duopoly in order to implement the wishes of local people.

How long does it take a Ministry to make a healthy school lunch? - Health Coalition Aotearoa

Health experts are perplexed by the Government’s announcement in the Ministry of Education Schools Bulletin yesterday [1] of no immediate changes on food and drinks provided by schools, after an eight-week consultation in April this year showed strong support for healthy changes.

Make every sleep a safe sleep for precious pēpi this winter

As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, Whānau Āwhina Plunket and the National SUDI Prevention Coordination Service are reminding whānau to make every sleep a safe sleep for precious pēpi this winter.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket Acting Chief Nurse Karen Magrath says sudden unexpected death of an infant (SUDI) is a leading cause of death for pēpi in Aotearoa New Zealand, but safe sleep practices can prevent many of these sad events.