Tobacco inquiry on the road

The Māori Affairs Committee today decided to travel to Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch in addition to Wellington to hear from submitters on its inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori.

The committee has received submissions from nearly 2000 people on its inquiry.

“The Māori Affairs Committee is delighted by the large response to this inquiry from ordinary people, health professionals, academics and the industry. We want to hear from as many people as possible so we are taking the committee to them to discuss this issue that affects so many lives.” said Mr Henare, the Māori Affairs Committee Chairperson.

The purpose of the inquiry is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the actions of the tobacco industry to promote tobacco use amongst Māori, and the impact of tobacco use on the health of the Māori population, and the wider economic, social, cultural and developmental impacts that arise from such health effects and tobacco use more generally. As part of the inquiry, the committee intends to consider policy and legislative measures to address the findings and will report its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives.

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death amongst Māori and is known to cause cancers, heart disease, stroke and respiratory illnesses. Tobacco products also harm non-smokers through exposure to second hand smoke. Ministry of Health statistics show that smoking is a major issue for Māori in terms of health, equity, economic status and cultural identity. Smoking rates, for both adults and youth, are about double the non-Māori rate.