Te Ara Hā Ora Kaiwhakahaere

E te iwi, tēnā koutou katoa

As we enter into spring the whakatauki "Ka tangi te pipiwharauroa, ko ngā karere a Mahuru", comes to mind. The messenger of spring the shinning cuckoo has flown from Hawaiki to inform us there is work to do and preparation to be done. It’s a wakeup call for all of us to not lose focus on what’s really important. To put aside distractions and focus on our core aspirational goal. Kia tū hei iwi tūpeka-kore tātou.

And on this note Te Ara Hā Ora would like to make our views known on E-cigarettes or ENDS. We have not yet decided the process of how whānau get access to them, whether they need to be sold by licensed dealers, prescribed by medical professionals or readily available to consumers. However, we do acknowledge that there is a place for ENDS. The primary reason for our decision is that smokers want them. Te Ara Hā Ora believes if the consumers themselves are asking for them or are currently using them, then it’s up to us to stand together and support them

Speaking of togetherness, Te Ara Hā Ora would like to encourage any initiative around reducing smoking that is inspired by communities. We hear it all the time. Working with communities rather than imposing ourselves on to communities. And when these initiatives begin, we need to nurture and support them. We need to involve our whānau who are current smokers. I am sure all smokers when asked would not want their children to become smokers as well. So there is a common thread we can start working on together. If we enage more, Im sure we can find other ways to work towards the aspirational goal of a smoke-free NZ.

Nā reira e aku rangatira, Im sure you are all busy working on your ROI, so kia kaha whānau mā. Ahakoa te aha, ka puta anō te rā.