Decrease in adult Maori smoking rates

The number of Maori lighting up has dropped five per cent over the past three years. Maori adults now make up 47 per cent of smokers, down from 52 per cent but still twice the general population, which is steady at 23.4 per cent. Quit coach Moana O'Brien works for Aukati Kai Paipa, a stop smoking programme run out of Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa in Hamilton, and said that even though the drop in Maori smokers was small it was significant. "It's a start. It's awesome to see that all the work that is happening to help our people is actually making a difference." The programme has a 20 to 25 per cent success rate. Read more here.