Media Advisory
3 NOVEMBER / WHIRINGA-Ā-RANGI 2011

Let’s Kick It in the Butt – Proud Māori Are Smokefree!

Whānau o Waipareira including children from the early childhood centre and students from the alternative education unit will rally together to get a clear message out to our community – proud Māori are smoke free.

In support of the Cancer Society Auckland – Waipareira staff and whānau will pick up cigarette butts in Henderson’s CBD to create a visual reminder of the impact of smoking in Auckland.

“It is an opportunity for us to reach out to our whānau,” Waipareira’s Health Promoter Bella Te Pou says.

“We are taking action by going out in the community in full force with our tamariki mokopuna and rangatahi to show how it is affecting our young ones,” says Mrs Te Pou.

Cancer Society Auckland’s CEO, John Loof says the average age that children start is 14 and even younger for Māori of 11 years. Let’s stop our children from starting by supporting a smokefree Auckland.”

The damaging result of these cigarettes is that 1700 people die every year from smoking related illnesses in Auckland. This is preventable,” says Mr Loof.

Waipareira’s Health Promotions team will be available to share with whānau some of the services we provide to help quit smoking.

Waipareira plan to pick up as many cigarette butts as possible from 10am on Friday 4 November.

The collection will be part of the Cancer Society Auckland’s project to collect 28,629 cigarette butts which is about 5% of what Aucklanders smoke each day - a significant number which demonstrates the effects of smoking in Auckland and the example we are setting for generations to come.

ENDS

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