Letter | Realignment of tobacco control services—will it be sufficient to achieve the nation’s Smokefree 2025 Goal?

The Ministry of Health’s recent announcement of a realignment of tobacco control services has heralded a welcome focus on the New Zealand Government’s Smokefree 2025 goal, and an acknowledgement that we are not on track to achieve it. However, in this letter to the New Zealand Medical Journal, the authors suggest that although the realignment may have some very positive aspects, it will not address some key issues, most importantly the requirement that the Government should adopt and implement a comprehensive plan to achieve the goal, including the implementation of a range of effective policy measures.

To read the full letter, please view here. (Note password access is required until November 2015).

Citation:
Edwards, R., Hoek, J., Beaglehole, R., & Wilson, N. (2015) Realignment of tobacco control services—will it be sufficient to achieve the nation’s Smokefree 2025 Goal? New Zealand Medical Journal, 128(1413), 84-87.

For further information or to request a copy of the letter please contact:
Richard Edwards
University of Otago, Wellington
email Richard.edwards@otago.ac.nz