The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists – Toi Mata Hauora was part of Health Coalition Aotearoa’s presentation to the Associate Minister of Health, Ayesha Verrall, in support of the draft Smokefree Action Plan 2025 on Thursday 18 November . The Coalition presented the Minister with an over-sized letter – signed by over 660 people and 60 organisations (including ASMS) – calling for full implementation of the Plan released in April 2021, including:
- A comprehensive, multi-faceted approach.
- The focus on eliminating ethnic and socio-demographic inequities in smoking and health harms.
- The commitment to strengthening Māori governance of tobacco control.
- Bold and potentially game-changing measures, particularly proposals to remove nearly all nicotine from smoked tobacco products and greatly reduce the retail availability of tobacco.
- Create supportive environments to help people quit smoking, particularly those from priority groups.
