Teens rejecting the habit

The number of young Maori women smoking daily is declining and, overall, fewer teenagers are taking up the habit, a national survey says.

But there is an increasing gap between the smoking behaviour of Maori and Pacific Island students and New Zealand European students.

The survey released yesterday says strategies aimed at decreasing ethnic gaps do not seem to be working.

The national Year 10 Smoking Survey conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) New Zealand, revealed that 17.6 per cent of 14 to 16-year-old New Zealand teenagers said they were smokers in 2004, down from 28.6 per cent in 1999; teenagers who have never smoked increased from 31.6 per cent in 1999 to 47 per cent in 2004.

Daily smoking prevalence declined more in boys (from 14.1 per cent in 1999 to 8.1 per cent in 2004) than in girls (from 17.1 per cent in 1999 to 11.4 per cent in 2004).

The 2004 survey says it is the first time a decline in daily smoking among Maori females has been observed - but only 18 per cent said they had never smoked, compared to 48.2 per cent of European girls.

In 2003, 15 per cent of Maori girls said they had never smoked, compared to 41.4 per cent of European girls.

Overall, 21.2 per cent of girls (24.9 in 2003) and 13.8 per cent of boys (16.4 in 2003) smoked on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

ASH director Becky Freeman said public health was winning the battle against the tobacco companies that had long portrayed smoking as a cool and grown-up behaviour.

This reduction is linked to the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act 2003 that required the buildings and grounds of schools, and early childhood centres to become smoke-free from January 1, 2004.

Another significant finding is that parents play a vital part in their children not taking up smoking. The Year 10 rate of never smoking was greater among students with both parents non-smokers (57.4 per cent) than in students with both parents smokers (23.7 per cent).

"The best thing you could do for your child's health and wellbeing is to quit smoking," Ms Freeman said.

- NZPA