Smokefree Report To Influence The Next Generation
new-zealand-labour-party
Sun May 09 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Smokefree Report To Influence The Next Generation
Sunday, 9 May 2010, 10:36 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Smokefree Report Launched In Mangere Marks A Chance To Influence The Next Generation, Says MP
Mangere MP Su’a William Sio today launched the release of the “Teachers’ Say About Smokefree” research report by Dr Marewa Glover, of the University of Auckland on the influence of teachers in the school smokefree environment.
“As someone with a personal commitment to being smoke-free, I fully support the research by the School of Population Health which shows the powerful influence of teachers on our kids and how their behaviour is a model that children do take note of.
“What also made this launch very important for me is that I spoke to the school-children at Kedgley Intermediate so that I can influence them not to take up smoking as a habit because I don’t want to hear of anyone suffering or dying as a result of smoking-related illnesses.
“They represent our next generation of leaders and in my mind, we need to protect our young so they live lives that enable them to live long enough to grow, serve and contribute to improving this planet, ‘ says Su’a William Sio.
“So I shared with the schoolchildren about what happened last week in Parliament when 118 MPs overwhelmingly supported a bill into law that raised the price of tobacco in New Zealand.
“As I explained to the students, the majority of MPs supported the Bill because deaths resulting from tobacco are preventable and the statistics show more than 5000 people die each year from smoking-related deaths. And of this number, Maori & Pacific deaths are significant.
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“People are now talking about banning smoking in their cars to help bring those terrible statistics down.
“There is talk about removing tobacco products from our shores, that will be the challenge of the next generation of leaders represented by the schoolchildren I spoke to today at Kedgley.
“I hope they take it up because it will take a generation to see a sea change in peoples’ views about whether it is ever acceptable to sell a product that ultimately ends in death or life-long chronic illness.
“ I want to thank the University of Auckland and Kedgley Intermediate for inviting me as the local MP for Mangere to speak and launch this significant report.”
Ends
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