Smoking is blamed for 4500 preventable deaths a year in New Zealand. Photo / Reuters
An extra $43 million over four years will be dedicated to stubbing out the fatal tobacco habit.
Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor said yesterday that the money was tagged in last week's Budget.
There were about 4500 preventable smoking related deaths a year.
"Tobacco control is a high
priority for this Government - it is the largest single cause of preventable death in New Zealand. This new investment will allow us to step up the fight."
Smokefree Coalition director Mark Peck welcomed the announcement and said tobacco control had been underfunded for years.
"At last we are getting a chunk of funding that starts to recognise the size of the problem."
Mr O'Connor encouraged smokers to decide to quite next Thursday - World Smokefree Day.
He said New Zealand had made progress in cutting smoking rates over the past few years, including a continuing reduction in smoking among young teens and a 5 per cent reduction in Maori smoking.
The money would pay for:
* More work targeting youth, in particular young Maori women.
* Primary care initiatives such as providing cessation guidelines and training for health workers to assist them to help smokers quit.
* Widening access to subsidised nicotine replacement therapy. At present $2.5 million a year is spent on subsidising patches and gum. The Government aims to increase the number of people who try to quit with the aid of subsidised replacement therapy.
* More money for Quitline.
* Smokefree pregnancy services will be expanded into areas where there are gaps.
* Mental health services initiatives including pilots to address the complex needs of those accessing mental health services.
* A new anti-smoking campaign.
Mr Peck said the funding for health workers was key.
"Ideally, smokers should be encouraged to quit every time they see a health professional - whether that's their practice nurse, GP, pharmacist or dentist.
"Coupling this with increased access to nicotine replacement therapy, and increasing the capacity of the Quitline, has got to mean more successful quit attempts."
- NZPA
