Smokefree Projects

Keeping Kids Smokefree

The most effective way to reduce smoking in young people is for them to not start smoking in the first place.

With this goal in mind Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) is working alongside the School of Population Health (at the University of Auckland) and key smokefree agencies to reduce uptake of smoking in young people.

This pilot project involves working with schools in the Counties Manukau district, including whanau/families and community organisations in the surrounding areas.

It is early days for this project and over the next three to four years ARPHS aims to help reduce the number of young people taking up smoking by encouraging and enabling parents to positively influence their child(ren)’s decision not to take up smoking; working to reduce the social supply/sale of cigarettes to under 18’s by parents, family, peers and tobacco retailers.

A number of initiatives are used to achieve these goals, including:

DVD resources for parents.
Working with children in the school setting.
Quit smoking services for whanau and teachers.
School/community whanau days.
Promotion of key messages to community groups (e.g. sports clubs and churches).
Working with tobacco retailers in the areas surrounding schools communities e.g. dairies and service stations.

WORLD SMOKEFREE DAY

31 MAY Annually

The focus for World Smokefree Day is on creating a smokefree/auahi kore future for the young people of Aotearoa New Zealand. The successful 2007 theme will be repeated:

“Smokefree…it’s about us / Kia Auahi Kore mō tātou te kaupapa.”

‘Us’ are the young people of Aotearoa New Zealand. We are working towards a smokefree/ auahi kore future for them and with them. The theme was designed so it could be adapted to compliment the tobacco control priorities of different communities, e.g.

Promoting quit attempts
Extending smokefree environments such as playgrounds and public places
Auahi Kore whare/waka
Auahi Kore marae
Smokefree schools/Auahi Kore kura
Banning point of sale advertising
Anti-industry activities
Smokefree families/Whanau Auahi Kore
Youth advocacy

All of these activities can contribute to reducing smoking initiation by young people.

This year there will be added emphasis on supporting quit attempts

SMOKEFREE PARKS

Mt SMART SMOKEFREE PARK

All Mt Smart seated areas for ALL the Warriors NRL home games are Smokefree!

This project is an initiative being lead by Cancer Society, Health Sponsorship Council and Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) which Auckland Regional Public Health Service and other organisations are proud to be a member of the organising group.

The Vodafone Warriors are proud to be supporting their fans and to encourage smokefree behaviours while supporting those who smoke and offering options to support any attempts to quit.

Following on from announcement in March 2007 that the Vodafone Warriors home games are smokefree, in 2008 there have been two well planned Gala days with the Vodafone Warriors and their supporters.

EDEN PARK SMOKEFREE POLICY

Eden Park has declared the park Smokefree with a Smokefree policy developed and implemented from 1^st January 2008.

Surveys were conducted by the Cancer Society of New Zealand, ASH and ARPHS to raise the awareness of the Smokefree Policy of Eden Park for a Black Caps NZ Cricket one day test match and also for the opening game for the Auckland Blues Super 14 campaign of 2008 to gauge fans awareness and/or acceptance of the Smokefree Policy.

Some commonalities between the fans of the two different codes, the main comment being that most people 86% feel that a SF policy is a good idea.

Of all the smokers surveyed 73% thought that a SF policy was a good idea.

Of all people surveyed 76% are non-smokers.

These results show familiar figures that reflect other surveys that have been evaluated and show a definite trend that most smokers support public places having Smokefree policies.

ARPHS is proud to be a part of the Smokefree Parks Team and look forward to many more smokefree environment in the future!