National Tobacco Control Advocacy

Major shifts are happening in the wider health sector with the establishment of a new Maori Health Authority and Public Health Agency. These are two key bodies that will lead on health outcomes in a new way that Hapai Te Hauora have seen themselves occupy for many years.

Tobacco Control in the current context is an exciting space to be in. A new Associate Minister of Health has prioritised the goal of Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 which has resulted in a reinvigoration in the tobacco control sector.

The National Tobacco Control Advocacy service is the only Ministry of Health funded advocacy service in Aotearoa. In the last 6 months we have been able to uplift over 3,000 Māori and Pacific community voices in a meaningful way so that they are heard. Our job continues to ensure their input into the government’s public consultations are considered and translated into healthy public health policies and programmes.

What we do

Our Tobacco Control Advocacy service utilises relationships and key influencers to spur increased ownership, and a positive view of Smokefree 2025.

We seek to enable the identification, delivery and promotion of effective public health and advocacy interventions that will create, strengthen and action positive Smokefree policies.

Part of our role is to increase public and media understanding of what will get us to 2025.

Four objectives for the tobacco control advocacy team are:

• To reduce smoking initiation
• To increase quitting
• To reduce the social, economic and health harms of tobacco
• To reduce inequalities

Māori and Pacific communities are very important to our work so we often seek their advice and leadership. We also facilitate engagement between a wide range of the following groups:

Policy makers, decision makers/influencers that may include, Parliamentary Committees, the Ministry of Health, District Health Boards, NGOs, Primary Health Organisations, Corporate decision makers, Media, Stop Smoking Service Providers, Council, Māori and Pacific Providers, Iwi, Local and national businesses, Research and academic institutions, Territorial local authorities and Crown agencies to progress Smokefree 2025.

Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan

The Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan was finally released in December 2021, following many years of hard mahi for all advocacy organisations. The Action Plan provides a succinct, multifaceted agenda that involves ‘unapologetically bold’ measures to achieve Aotearoa’s goal of becoming smokefree.

To read more about the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan and its six focus areas, follow the link below:

Download: Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan

Tobacco Control Update E-newsletter

Hāpai Te Hauora as the National Tobacco Control Advocacy Service produce a monthly newsletter containing updates on Tobacco Control locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, as well as information about conferences and events relating to tobacco control.
To subscribe enter your email address below:

Tobacco Control Update archive:

Tala Pasifika

Tala Pasifika currently are a network of Pacific health professionals who work closely with their communities to continue raising the profile of Smokefree 2025. Members have led both national, regional and local fono to advance Pacific health in contribution to addressing the adverse health outcomes many families are facing.

Much of this work is delivered in partnership with organisations and groups who are well-funded to deliver outcomes for Pacific, Tala Pasifika provide another mechanism to ensure quality engagement with Pacific people.

Tala Pasifika have a committed strong membership who have supported this work for over a decade.

The Pan Pacific Fono held on 13th July was an important event hosted by Te Aho o te Kahu (Cancer Control Agency) and Tala Pasifika. Over 100 Pasifika experts, researchers, health and community workers and volunteers were able to gather to "Reconnect, talanoa (share) and learn."

Visit the Tala Pasifika website here