MB BChir, MRCP, FCPHM(NZ), MPH, MD
Co-Director ASPIRE2025

Richard trained as a public health physician in the UK, and came to Wellington in November 2005. He has over 20 years of experience in tobacco control practice and research in the UK and New Zealand.

Richard is co-director of ASPIRE 2025 and principal investigator on the New Zealand arm of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Evaluation project.

His main current research focus is on tobacco control policy research, particularly in relation to achieving the Tupeka Kore vision of ending significant tobacco use in Aotearoa/New Zealand by 2025.

Richard is a Deputy Editor of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research and serves on various expert advisory committees including for Hāpai Te Hauora the national tobacco control advocacy service and the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation.

Research expertise

• Tobacco control policy research including point of sale displays, smokefree policies, tax and price, and ‘endgame’ solutions
• Tobacco use initiation
• Tobacco use epidemiology

Selected recent publications

1. Edwards, R., Tu, D., Stanley, J., Martin, G., Gifford, H., & Newcombe, R. (2018). Smoking prevalence among doctors and nurses: 2013 New Zealand census data. New Zealand Medical Journal, 131(1471), 48-57. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
2. Ball, J., Sim, D., & Edwards, R. (2018). Addressing ethnic disparaties in adolescent smoking: Is reducing exposure to smoking in the home a key? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, nty053. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nty053
3. Waa, A. M., Hoek, J., Edwards, R., & Maclaurin, J. (2017). Analysis of the logic and framing of a tobacco industry campaign opposing standardised packaging legislation in New Zealand. Tobacco Control, 26(6), 629-633. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053146
4. Shaw, C., Hales, S., Edwards, R., Howden-Chapman, P., & Stanley, J. (2017). What can fuel price increases tell us about the air pollution health co-benefits of a carbon price? Journal of Transport & Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2017.11.002
5. Edwards, R., Ajmal, A., Healey, B., & Hoek, J. (2017). Impact of removing point-of-sale tobacco displays: Data from a New Zealand youth survey. Tobacco Control, 26, 392-398. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052764
6. Ball J, Edwards R, Waa A, Tautolo E-S. Stakeholder Appraisal of Selected Tobacco Endgame Policy Options in New Zealand. Tobacco Regulatory Science. 2017;3(1):56-67.
7. Waa A, Hoek J, Edwards R, Maclaurin J. A logical analysis of a tobacco industry campaign opposing standardised packaging legislation in New Zealand. In press Tobacco Control (published online Sept 30 2016)
8. Tu, D., Newcombe, R., Edwards, R., & Walton, D. Socio-demographic characteristics of New Zealand adult smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers: results from the 2013 Census. NZMJ 2016; 129(1447), 43.
9. Edwards R, Ajmal A, Healey B, Hoek J. Impact of removing point of sale tobacco displays: Data from a New Zealand youth survey. Tobacco Control 2016 (ePub July 4 2016).
10. Edwards R, Tu D, Newcombe R, Holland K, Walton D. Achieving the tobacco endgame: evidence on the hardening hypothesis from repeated cross-sectional studies in New Zealand 2008-2014. Tobacco Control 2016 (ePub July 5 2016).
11. Gifford H, Tautolo E-S, Erick S, Hoek J, Gray R, Edwards R. A qualitative analysis of Māori and Pacific smokers’ views on informed choice and smoking. BMJ Open 2016: 6:e011415.
12. Ball J, Stanley J, Wilson N, Blakely T, Edwards R. Smoking prevalence in New Zealand from 1996–2015: a critical review of national data sources to inform progress toward the Smokefree 2025 goal. N Z Medical Journal 2016;129(1439):11-22.
13. Delany L, Thomson G, Wilson N, Edwards R. Key design features of a new smokefree law to help achieve the Smokefree Aotearoa. N Z Medical Journal 2016; 129(1439):68-76.
14. Healey B, Edwards R, Hoek J. Youth preferences for roll-your-own versus factory-made cigarettes: Trends and associations in repeated national surveys (2006-13) and implications for policy. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 2016 18 (5): 959-965.
15. Robertson L, Marsh L, Edwards R, Hoek J, van der Deen F, McGee R. Regulating tobacco retailing in NZ: what can we learn from overseas? N Z Medical Journal 2016; 129: 1432.
16. Gendall P, Hoek J, Edwards R, Glantz S. Effect of Exposure to Smoking in Movies on Young Adult Smoking in New Zealand. PLoS ONE. 2016; 11:e0148692. (Published online March 9 2016)
17. Gendall P, Eckert C, Hoek J,  Farley T, Louviere J, Wilson N, Edwards R. Estimating the ‘consumer surplus’ for branded vs standardised tobacco packaging. Tobacco Control. 2016; 25:641-647 [Published Online First: 5 October 2015].
18. Gray R, Hoek J, Edwards R. A qualitative analysis of “informed choice” among young adult smokers. Tobacco Control 2016; 25: 46-51.
19. Wilson N, Edwards R, Hoek J, Thomson G, Blakely T, van der Deen FS, Caldwell B, Crane J. Potential new regulatory options for e-cigarettes in New Zealand. N Z Medical Journal 2015;  28(1425).