KEY POINTS:
The world is watching campaigners fighting to make New Zealand smokefree, a Canadian lawyer told the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Auckland today.
Canadian Cancer Society member Rob Cunningham has taken the tobacco industry to court in both Canada and Switzerland.
New Zealand had the chance to "lead the way by putting in place world precedent-setting measures," he said.
Mr Cunningham recommends increased tobacco taxes, plain packaging, limiting sales and prohibiting the sale of flavoured tobacco products.
"A myriad of measures have been implemented elsewhere that the Oceania region could put in place, such as banning retail displays and signage, banning smoking in vehicles carrying children, banning smoking in various outdoor areas, bans on misleading labelling such as the terms light and mild, and health care cost recovery lawsuits against tobacco manufacturers," Mr Cunningham said.
Local campaigners want similar action.
ASH NZ director Ben Youdan said its priority was getting rid of cigarettes and smoked tobacco by looking for alternatives, especially for those most addicted.
Massey University professor Chris Cunningham suggested to the conference that more research be done into the use of a type of chewing tobacco, known as Snus, as an alternative for Maori smokers.
Mr Youdan agreed there might be a possibility of chewing tobacco helping people to give up smoking.
"Chewing is not necessarily the future but there are viable options to help people stop smoking and reduce the number of deaths."
Prof Cunningham studied Maori smokers specifically because they had the "dubious distinction of being amongst the highest smoking populations in the world today".
Snus is a Swedish product - tobacco that is smokefree and has had the carcinogens removed.
It is packaged in small bags placed under the tongue or inside the cheek and easily disposed of in its wrapping after use.
Its use had been shown to substantially reduce the incidence of lung cancer and research shows no increase in tongue or mouth cancer, Prof Cunningham said.
He said Snus use might not fit New Zealand culture but the option should be explored.
There are currently about 750,000 smokers in New Zealand and each year only 10,000 quit.
Prof Cunningham said that with expanded quitting programmes the number of people stopping could rise.
Ministry of Pacific Affairs chief executive Colin Tukuitonga said one in three New Zealanders of Pacific Island descent smoked.
and language and cultural barriers prevented them from using current quitting programmes.
- NZPA
