Students light up after school

Taranaki teens are among New Zealand's most likely to light up a cigarette after school, an anti-smoking group says.

Almost 8 per cent of Taranaki students aged 14 and 15 smoke every day, an annual survey of Year 10 students by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found.

Only Southland recorded a higher level of daily smoking for the age group, with 9.9 per cent.

Nationally the rate is falling steadily – from 15.6 per cent in 1999 to 5.6 per cent last year – but the decrease is much slower in Taranaki where numbers fell just 4.3 per cent over the same period.

Young people spoken to by the Taranaki Daily News yesterday did not want to be named but had started smoking before reaching their teens.

"When I was 10, I would get a few from someone who wouldn't notice them gone from their packet," an 18-year-old female said.

"I started smoking properly when I was about 15 and smoke more than 10 a day and about 20 in a night if I'm drinking."

Her 20-year-old friend had a similar story, getting his first cigarettes from friends at the age of 12.

"Pretty much all of my mates were smokers," he said.

"I've tried to quit multiple times but it's hard when you see your friends smoking or you're drinking."

Healthy Taranaki development manager Becky Jenkins said the Taranaki District Health Board had smokefree projects aimed at students as young as 10.

"A Smokefree intermediate programme is presently working well at Manukorihi Intermediate," she said.

"The programme supports and celebrates 12 Year 8 students who are smoke-free and are committed to remaining smokefree."

The students have a leadership role in the school and the job is hotly contested as students are nominated by their peers, Mrs Jenkins said.

The TDHB is also working with Taranaki rugby league clubs to develop smokefree policies for club rooms and grounds.

"Having these policies in place reduces young people's exposure to people smoking when they play their sport and promotes a smokefree culture," Mrs Jenkins said.

Cancer Society health promoter Elaine Jamieson said another way to help keep young people smokefree would be to remove cigarette displays from shops.

"The Cancer Society has been campaigning for several years to remove displays from shops," she said.

"Add to this the proposed tax increases and I'm sure we will see fewer young people lighting up, less addiction, less cancer, less heart disease and more birthdays."

At the end of April, the Government increased the tax on loose-leaf tobacco by 24 per cent and on factory made cigarettes by 10 per cent. The tax will rise by a further 10 per cent next year and again in 2012.

- © Fairfax NZ News