World Smokefree Day 2008

Theme | Mass Media | Team Activities | Key Dates

Theme and Focus

The focus for World Smokefree Day 2008 was on creating a smokefree/auahi kore future for the young people of Aotearoa New Zealand. The successful 2007 theme was repeated:

“Smokefree…it’s about us/Kia Auahi Kore mō tātou te kaupapa.”

Mass Media

Click here for information about mass media for World Smokefree Day 2008.

Team Activities

SOUTHLAND

Smokefree Parks and Playgrounds: The team worked with the local school in Bluff to highlight the cause for smokefree parks and playgrounds. A good relationship had already been formed with the school through working with them on a smokefree homes and cars through schools project. During the week of World Smokefree Day the school students made banners and then marched through the town to the local rugby grounds where the council manager of parks and recreation addressed the community. Lunch was enjoyed by the whole school, provided by the local bakery (who also supply the school canteen) – that is, as long as the bakery have adopted a healthier catering policy.


Preparing for the hikoi	Presentation of artwork by school students

WELLINGON

Media: Whole page spreads were secured in local newspapers and used to promote World Smokefree Day. The pages featured human interest stories, ‘Smoking Not Our Future’ images, information on the drive to get rid of tobacco displays, a brief on youth participation from the Cancer Society and notices about local activities happening around World Smokefree Day.


Quit smoking promotion at Porirua Pak n Save

WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Schools: Four local high schools took part in a World Smokefree Day quiz challenge with smokefree prizes. Students were involved in organising and running the quiz. Questions and answers focussed on sending positive messages around smokefree being the norm.

Media releases encouraged people currently smoking to set World Smokefree Day as a day that they gave quitting a go.

TURANGI AND TAUPO

Promotions: There were colourful smokefree auahi kore promotions set-up in each town centre, with people available to talk to locals about World Smokefree Day, and to register them for quitting support. Resources were displayed and given away.

TAIRAWHITI

The smokefree auahi kore team worked with the three local WINZ offices (rural and urban) to promote World Smokefree Day to their clients. World Smokefree Day was also used as a platform for launching smokefree hospital signs and there was a celebratory ‘one year auahi kore’ breakfast for locals who had achieved that milestone.

HAURAKI

Youth Festival: 2008 saw the return of the successful Youth festival to Hauraki. The event was a coming together and celebration of local youth talent and was proudly promoted in media and around the event through posters, competitions and giveaways as being smokefree auahi kore. It was an event that allowed locals to engage with young people in a positive, youth centred environment.


Sequence Dance Group	Tania Young, Clarke Koopu and two performers from Nesian Mystic

EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Smokefree Cars: A bright green decorated smokefree car took to the streets of Whakatane to help promote the value of making your car smokefree. There were also quizzes, competitions for children and information given out in the streets of the town. Banners around Whakatane reminded people of World Smokefree Day.

WHANGAREI

Smokefree Parks and Playgrounds: The goal of 2008's World Smokefree Day activities was to raise community awareness of smokefree public places in order to advocate to the council to make a local park and sports stadium smokefree. The team worked with other organisations that supported the cause as well as engaging with local Fruit in Schools and Health Promoting Schools to promote the issue. Local radio was used – community notices, interviews, advertisements, letters of support were gathered from local organizations and a petition was run. All of this background work culminated in a hikoi around the park on May 29 where the Mayor was present to receive all advocacy materials. Local media were invited to report on the event and the cause.


Hikoi to Kensington Park in support of banning tobacco displays in support of smokefree outdoor spaces

AUCKLAND

Buchanan Rehabilitation Centre: This centre supports and challenges those with mental illness to reach their potential and have choices for their future. As part of their healthy lifestyles programme they worked towards the centre becoming a completely smokefree site. This helped those who were smokefree to remain so and also helped those who had quit to stay quit. Groups at the centre worked to include smokefree in their healthy lifestyles focus and worked to support people to reduce their smoking or to quit. It took 18 months of hard work by dedicated people to reach that point. The centre did have specific places on the site where people could smoke – they worked towards making the site totally smokefree – the day that they moved to a completely smokefree site was World Smokefree Day. To celebrate there was be a day of fun activities, music, kapa haka, food and games for clients, staff and their families.

Other World Smokefree Day activities in Auckland


Helen Clark addresses students at Edgewater College	Rawene Paratene was the MC for the day	Students were interviewed for TV

	Hon Damien O’Connor takes part in a Quit promotion at a Warriors game	World Smokefree Day promotion in Otara town centre

Students at Rangitoto College kick butt	Students at Rangitoto College

Key dates for 2008

21 February Resource order forms distributed

29 February Cut off date for team registration

14 March Cut off date for ordering resources

Late April Resources delivered

31 May World Smokefree Day

Mid July Evaluation forms for World Smokefree Day 2008 distributed