Missed Opportunities in New Zealand
AVCA says no extra funding being specified to support ‘vape to quit’ programmes is a missed opportunity to support the Smokefree Aotearoa ambition
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by Dave Cross
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“The Budget’s establishment funding to enable significant health reforms is positive news for those wanting a more centralised, concerted national health effort to achieve the likes of Smokefree Aotearoa,” says a leading tobacco harm reduction advocate.
The comments follow Kiwi Finance Minister Grant Robertson announcing that Budget 2021 includes funding to begin the transition from 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to one Health New Zealand organisation. The reforms will also establish a new Māori Health Authority.
ASH New Zealand director, Deborah Hart, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this new funding, which underlines the Government’s commitment to the Smokefree 2025 goal. Because of the looming deadline for the goal, 60,000 smokers need to quit every year, up from the 20,000 currently quitting. Helping Māori, Pacific and poor people to quit will make a huge impact in reducing inequality as well as ensuring we meet the Smokefree 2025 goal.”
Nancy Loucas, the co-director of AVCA (1) commented: “All our DHBs run successful ‘vape to quit’ smoking cessation programmes but the commitment and resourcing varies quite a bit. As a result, after 10 years of New Zealand wanting to be smokefree by 2025, we’re sadly not going to get there. The new health structure, however, provides an opportunity to turbocharge our national ambition.”
She says Britain’s similarly centralised National Health Service (NHS) has been an effective catalyst for switching smokers to vaping. In England alone, nearly three million adults now vape – backed by Public Health England ruling it’s 95% less harmful than smoking.
“The NHS has been a real champion of smokers quitting tobacco by vaping, and they’re not shy about it. A recent high-profile initiative, for example, sees all smokers given e-cigarette 'starter packs' when they’re discharged from an emergency department. It’s that kind of unilateral leadership that can make a difference,” she added.
AVCA is also pleased the Government didn’t use Covid 19’s massive financial impact to bring back tobacco tax hikes as a revenue gathering exercise. In four consecutive Budgets from 2016 excise duty was increased, with the last taking effect in January 2020 which saw an average pack of 25 cigarettes rise to over $41.
“It’s great the Government wasn’t tempted to hike tobacco tax. It’s terribly regressive, hitting the vulnerable the hardest with the high Māori smoking rate budging little. AVCA believes education remains key, as does ensuring vaping is an accessible and appealing alternative.
“One missed opportunity in this Budget was that no extra funding was specified to support ‘vape to quit’ programmes and the Government’s latest Smokefree 2025 reboot. Nonetheless, Health New Zealand is being funded into life and its singular focus is a real opportunity to further reduce tobacco harm,” concluded Loucas.
AVCA is encouraging submissions on the Government’s smokefree discussion document before 31 May via: https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/proposals-smokefree-aotearoa-2025-action-plan
References:
- Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy - www.avca.org.nz
Photo Credit:
Image by David Peterson from Pixabay
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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