A Hamilton early childhood centre is the first in New Zealand to become tupeka kore (tobacco free), says the Waikato District Health Board's Maori health service.
Te Puna Oranga, Waikato DHB's Maori Health service, last week held a ceremony at the centre where a tupeka kore kawenata (tobacco free covenant)was placed on the bilingual Hamilton centre.
Tupeka kore is Te Puna Oranga's tobacco free programme encouraging tobacco-free lifestyles for whanau, communities, iwi, hapu and marae.
Under the Smoke-free Environment Act, smoking is prohibited at schools and early childhood education and care services. DHB Maori Health general manager Ditre Tamatea said tupeka kore goes further.
"This is an evolution on from being smoke free, it's about being entirely tobacco free, not allowing any sort of tobacco on campus," said Mr Tamatea.
Mr Tamatea said about 30 to 40 per cent of Maori aged 18 and over smoked and that it was the leading cause of death among Maori.
"When a significant proportion smokes, then smoking is no longer perceived as abnormal. What we want to do is say tobacco and smoking is abnormal. It's about changing our mind set and that of our whanau, using our cultural practices to enforce that message."
Bright Stars Educare decided to become tupeka kore after a whanau hui hosted by Te Puna Oranga staff last year. The concept was presented to parents and grandparents who decided to ban tobacco from the premises.
"The decision was driven by the whanau themselves - non-smokers and smokers alike. It needs to be this way. It's about people taking personal ownership," said Te Puna Oranga workforce development co-ordinator Natania Katene.
"It's our mission to spread the concept of tupeka kore into any service, or facility, that wants it to be enacted. The most exciting thing for us is when Maori organisations go tupeka kore - especially those that deal with our tamariki."
