PĀNUI
NEWS
Hapai Te Hauora & Flare Presents: World Smokefree May Ōtautahi 2026 Launch.
01 / 05 / 2026
Communities across Ōtautahi/Christchurch came together today to mark the launch of World Smokefree May 2026, as Hāpai Te Hauora and Flare Festival opened the month-long celebration of health, hope, and collective strength.
Whānau, community members, and supporters gathered to be part of an important moment in Aotearoa's journey toward a smokefree future. The energy was warm and the message was clear: we are stronger together, and the time for change is now.
World Smokefree May 2026 is grounded in three kaupapa that reflect the heart of this movement. The first is that our strength lies in unity. When communities stand alongside one another, the support and momentum needed for lasting change grows. The second is that choosing to be smokefree is an act of self-determination, a decision to take ownership of our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our whānau. And the third is that it is always the right time to start again. Whether someone is taking their very first steps toward being smokefree or finding their way back after a setback, today's event was a reminder that courage is recognised and every step forward matters.
The launch set a powerful tone for the month ahead, bringing people together not just to raise awareness, but to celebrate resilience and affirm a shared vision. World Smokefree May is a call to communities across Aotearoa to choose a healthier future, together.
"Removing tobacco from Aotearoa's future was not just a health issue. It was a matter of preserving culture, protecting whānau, and securing the wellbeing of generations to come."
The drive toward a smokefree Aotearoa has deep roots. In 2010, the Māori Affairs Select Committee undertook a landmark inquiry into the tobacco industry and its effects on Māori. What it found was sobering. While smoking rates were declining across the general population, they were rising among Māori and Pacific peoples. Māori women were recorded as having among the highest rates of lung cancer in the world. Beyond the physical toll, the inquiry highlighted the cultural cost of tobacco, including the premature loss of kuia and kaumātua, and with them, the traditions, knowledge, and histories they carry for younger generations.
The inquiry made clear that removing tobacco from Aotearoa's future was not just a health issue. It was a matter of preserving culture, protecting whānau, and securing the wellbeing of generations to come. It was from this inquiry that the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal was born, a bold national commitment to create a country where tobacco no longer holds power over our communities.
That goal continues to inspire the work happening today. Every smokefree choice, every conversation, and every event like this one is part of that bigger story.
