Auahi Kore

SMOKEFREE

We’re working toward creating a Smokefree Hutt Valley to reduce smoking and the impact of second-hand smoke. We know that children do what they see so by making smoking less visible we hope to raise a generation of young people who are completely smokefree. Making as many of our public places as possible smokefree also makes it easier for existing smokers to quit and stay smokefree.

Why is this important?

  • 5000 deaths are attributed to smoking related illness each year

  • Another 500 deaths are attributed to second-hand smoke related illness

  • 13.2% of New Zealand adults identify as current smokers

  • 28.3% of our Māori population identify as current smokers

  • 21.2% of our Pasifika population identify as current smokers

 

HOW WE’RE CREATING A SMOKEFREE HUTT VALLEY

Hutt City Council’s Smokefree Outdoor Public Places Policy – is one of the most comprehensive in New Zealand. Extended in 2016 and then further extended in 2019, the policy has designated the following public spaces as smokefree and vapefree:

  • Outdoor public swimming pools

  • Parks and sports grounds, including skate parks

  • Bus shelters, bus stops and train stations

  • Beaches

  • Outdoor public areas around Council buildings and facilities

  • Smokefree Council run and funded events

  • Outdoor pavement dining areas

  • Lower Hutt CBD and suburban centres

Lower Hutt proud to be smokefree – Messaging and signage was developed to communicate the positive smokefree message. This has been localised so individual suburbs have their own version e.g. Naenae proud to be smokefree.

Voluntary smokefree spaces – These are a key part of creating a Smokefree Hutt Valley. Medical centres, cafés and community organisations are leading the way by making their spaces smokefree and proactively displaying smokefree signage. We worked with Queensgate Shopping Centre on World Smokefree Day 2018 when they launched their smokefree status. There are now ‘Lower Hutt proud to be smokefree’ signs around the shopping centre. This is significant as Queensgate has more than seven million visits every year and is a place where our young people spend their time.

Engaging with Youth Council – Young people have a unique perspective on smoking and vaping behaviours and are the population we’re trying to raise smokefree. We’ve been working with the Hutt City Youth Council around their perspectives on smoking and vaping. They are continuing their own engagement with the young people they represent to gather a broad range of views and create insights that can be used in the future.

Scaling into Upper Hutt – In partnership with Hutt Valley District Health Board we have created a new role to support Upper Hutt City Council on their journey to a Smokefree Upper Hutt. The intention of this role is to take the learnings and experiences of leading the smokefree mahi in Hutt City Council and scale this into Upper Hutt City Council. It is an example of collaboration for collective impact as funding for the role is provided by Hutt Valley District Health Board. The leadership and management is provided by Healthy Families Hutt Valley with Hutt City Council as its lead provider, but the work is focused in Upper Hutt City Council.

Vaping position statement – Vaping is an emerging issue and the evidence on behaviour and harm is still evolving. The current evidence shows that vaping is less harmful than smoking in the short term. Evidence about the long-term harm and potential gateway effect of smoking related behaviour, especially in young people, remains unclear. There was concern that in the drive to reduce smoking, controls on vaping might be too loose and have the unintended impact of increasing uptake beyond existing smokers. To respond to this concern the Healthy Families Hutt Valley Strategic Leadership Group has developed a vaping position statement. This statement aligns with the Hutt Valley Tobacco Control Group’s view on vaping.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

  • Spread the smokefree message and talk to the owners of your favourite café or restaurant about how they can go 100% smokefree

  • Work with your community to make your sports club, workplace, marae or church 100% smokefree

 

Imagine if our community spaces were all smokefree, where our children don’t see smoking and aren’t exposed to second-hand smoke.

 

Want to help?

Contact us to share your insights around the value of Auahi Kore.