Smoking rates for non-Māori sat at 7.2 per cent, and Hāpai Te Hauora wanted concentrated efforts addressing inequities for Māori and Pasifika taken seriously by the Government.
Chief executive Selah Hart said there were multiple measures, including legislative measures, to restrict the sale and supply of tobacco.
While there had been a drop in smoking rates, vaping and e-cigarette use surged, particularly among rangatahi aged 18 to 24.
A total of 22.9 per cent of vapers were Pākēha, 21.7 per cent were Pasifika and 17.6 per cent were Māori.
Hart said vaping was a double-edged sword: it was a helpful cessation device, but it was also introducing a habit for those who have never smoked.
“They are only getting the nicotine ... so on one hand that’s a really great thing because we have removed a whole heap of chemicals going into those whānau bodies,” Hart said.
“We now need to re-look at our strategy and understand, okay, for those whānau who were people who never smoked and are now vaping, what are we doing to protect them and keep them away from the potential addiction to nicotine through these vape devices?”
Hart wanted more education and a targeted approach from the Government as the number of rangatahi who vape continued to rise.
Students were being expelled and excluded from school because of their vaping habits, she said.
“That is absolutely the wrong way to go about this, it needs a health response. It’s a health issue, it’s an addiction issue, we shouldn’t be penalising kids from their education rights because they have an addiction issue.”
-RNZ
