Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board crackdown on vaping
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board is calling for urgent action to curb rising vaping rates among rangatahi Māori across the Waikato rohe, warning that current market practices are fuelling nicotine addiction and harming whānau wellbeing.
Released ahead of World Smokefree Day 2026, Te Tiratū’s new Vaping Position Statement, developed with the University of Otago Faculty of Medicine and Associate Professor Andrew Waa, calls for vaping products to be regulated as therapeutic cessation tools only and available through accredited health services with strict nicotine limits, standardised packaging, reduced flavours, and stronger enforcement against illicit supply chains.
The statement highlights alarming vaping rates among rangatahi Māori, particularly Māori girls, and warns that vaping has become dangerously normalised as a lifestyle product rather than a smoking cessation aid.
Te Tiratū says stronger prevention-focused regulation is essential to protect future generations and uphold the wellbeing of whānau, hapū, and iwi.
Crackdown on vaping – the call for regulation ahead of World Smokefree Day
MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday 25 May 2026, 5:00 PM
2 minutes to Read
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board is calling for urgent regulatory and public health action to curb the rising uptake of vaping products across the Waikato rohe, warning that current market practices are driving nicotine addiction among rangatahi Māori and undermining whānau wellbeing.
Released ahead of World Smokefree Day on 31 May 2026, Te Tiratū has worked with the Otago University Faculty of Medicine on a Vaping Position Statement.
Developed with expert technical advisor Associate Professor Andrew Waa it calls for vaping products to be restricted to regulated therapeutic settings only to protect rangatahi Māori from nicotine addiction.
Te Tiratū represents approximately 121,300 Māori across the Waikato rohe, a population that is both young and significantly rural, with 48% under the age of 25.
National data shows concerning trends among rangatahi Māori, with 16.5% of Māori Year 10 students vaping daily, 23.9% vaping regularly, and 53.2% having tried vaping, while Māori girls report the highest regular vaping rate at 28.7%.
Tumu Whakarae of Te Tiratū IMPB, Brandi Hudson says the scale of harm being seen across the rohe requires urgent action and number of rangatahi vaping reinforces the need for stronger prevention-focused regulation.
“Te Tiratū is extremely concerned about the widespread uptake of vaping products and the predatory marketing strategies used to lure our whānau into nicotine addiction. To uphold our vision “Kia tupu, kia hua, kia puāwai”, we must protect our people especially rangatahi from exploitation by highly addictive products,” she said.
“Vaping is not a harmless lifestyle choice. It is a rapidly normalised pathway into nicotine dependency for our young people, and we cannot afford to ignore what we are seeing in our communities.”
As part of its statutory monitoring function, Te Tiratū has identified persistent respiratory inequities, including an average of 215 Māori children aged 14 and under being hospitalised for asthma each year between 2020 and 2023, at rates 1.9 times higher than non-Māori children.
These inequities are compounded by high levels of deprivation, damp and mould-affected housing, and reduced access to primary care, along with ongoing gaps in access to cessation support and youth health services. Together, these conditions intensify the respiratory risks faced by rangatahi Māori in the context of rising vaping uptake.
Associate Professor Andrew Waa says vaping must be understood within the broader history of commercial nicotine exploitation.
“Tobacco was introduced to Māori by Captain Cook and has since been aggressively promoted by an industry that profits from addiction,” he said.
“Vaping products are designed to be highly addictive, appealing, and easy to use particularly for rangatahi. While they may have a place as a cessation tool for people who smoke, they are not harmless, and they are being marketed in ways that undermine rangatahi wellbeing and tino rangatiratanga within whānau, hapū, and iwi.”
Te Tiratū supports Vaping as a regulated therapeutic product only backed by a strengthened regulatory framework in which vaping products are:
- Available only through accredited health services (pharmacies, cessation services, primary care)
- Subject to strict nicotine limits
- Sold in standardised packaging with reduced appeal features
- Limited to essential flavours for cessation purposes only
- Supported by stronger border and domestic enforcement of illicit supply chains
- Accompanied by accessible vaping cessation support services, including for rangatahi.
The position statement also warns that vaping has been normalised as a “lifestyle product” rather than a therapeutic tool, undermining tobacco control progress and exposing young people to nicotine addiction pathways.
It also highlights the need to prioritise rangatahi wellbeing in definitions of harm, not only adult smoking cessation outcomes.
Position Statement – Vaping
Te Tiratū is extremely concerned about the widespread uptake of vaping products and the use of predatory marketing strategies used to lure our whānau and to push harmful and addictive products.
To uphold our vision Kia tupu, kia hua, kia puaawai (To grow, prosper and sustain) we must protect our people, in particular rangatahi, from exploitation by highly addictive vaping products.
References:
[1] Baldassarri SR. Electronic Cigarettes: Past, Present, and Future: What Clinicians Need to Know. Clin Chest Med. 2020;41(4):797–807.
[2] Edwards R, Hoek J, Waa A, Ball J. What is happening with vaping among adolescents and young adults in Aotearoa? Public Health Expert Briefing [Internet]. 2023 12 May 2026. Available from: https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/what-happening-vaping-among-adolescents-and-young-adults-aotearoa.
[3] Hammond D, Reid JL, Burkhalter R, Rynard V, D’Mello K. Trends in smoking and vaping among young people: Findings from the ITC Youth & Young Adult Tobacco and Vaping Survey, 2017-2024. Waterloo: University of Waterloo; 2026.
[3] American Lung Association. What’s in an E-Cigarette? Chicago: American Lung Association; 2026 [Available from: https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/whats-in-an-e-cigarette.
[4] Eng A. Vaping Regulatory Authority response to the reclassification of nicotine in liquid preparations – 67th meeting of the Medicines Classification Committee. In: Authority VR, editor. Wellington: Ministry of Health; 2022.
[5] Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board. Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board opposes moves to push vaping on Māori providers as rangatahi harm escalates Te Whanganui a Tara: Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board; 2026 [Available from: https://atiawatoaimpb.nz/2025/12/12/ati-awa-toa-hauora-partnership-board-opposes-moves-to-push-vaping-on-Māori-providers-as-rangatahi-harm-escalates/.
[6] Ball J, Christie G, Hoek J, Waa A, Edwards R. Youth vaping addiction: How it happens and why it matters. Public Health Expert Briefing [Internet]. 2024 13 May 2026. Available from: . https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/youth-vaping-addiction-how-it-happens-and-why-it-matters.
[7] Beaglehole R, Bonita R, Pang T. Smoke-free nicotine products can accelerate the end of the smoking epidemic. Nature Health. 2026.
[8] New Zealand Drug Foundation. What is Harm Reduction? Wellington: Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri: The New Zealand Drug Foundation 2026 [Available from: https://drugfoundation.org.nz/topics/policy-and-practice/harm-reduction/what-is-harm-reduction.
[9] Waa A, Maddox R, Nez Henderson P. Big tobacco using Trojan horse tactics to exploit Indigenous peoples. Tobacco Control. 2020;29(e1):e132–e3.
[10] Cohen J. Big tobacco is trying to hide its greed behind ‘harm reduction’. The Hill [Internet]. 2024 13 May 2026. Available from: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/4524685-big-tobacco-is-trying-to-hide-its-greed-behind-harm-reduction/.
[11] Te Tiratū IMPB Monitoring Report to March 2025, p. 22-23 – Respiratory disease section. Contains Waikato Māori asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis and premature respiratory death data.
[12] Cure Kids, State of Child Health in Aotearoa New Zealand 2026, respiratory conditions section, p. 5-13 – national child respiratory burden, asthma/wheeze, bronchiolitis, risk factors including tobacco smoke and vape exposure.
[13] Te Tiratū IMPB Health Profile Vol. 1, public summary – Waikato Māori housing and primary care risk context: damp housing, mould, overcrowding, no heating, primary care enrolment gap.
[14] Ministry of Health, Tatau Kahukura: Māori Health Chart Book 2024 – national Māori respiratory inequity context: Māori aged 5-34 were more than twice as likely as non-Māori to be hospitalised for asthma, and Māori aged 45+ had around four times the COPD hospitalisation rate of non-Māori.
We need to curb the rising uptake of vaping products across the Waikato rohe.
Pharmac proposes removing priority access of type 2 diabetes meds for Māori, Pasifika
Associate Professor Dr Ryan Paul, a clinician and technical expert advisor to Te Tiratū, has expressed serious concern in an interview with 1News about proposed changes to funding criteria for type 2 diabetes medicines. He warns that removing ethnicity-based access pathways could deepen existing inequities for Māori and Pacific peoples.
The proposed Pharmac changes would expand general access to medicines such as empagliflozin, liraglutide, and dulaglutide, but would remove targeted pathways that currently acknowledge the higher burden of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease experienced by Māori and Pacific populations.
Te Tiratū co-chair Glen Tupuhi notes that equity-focused pathways were introduced because the health system has repeatedly failed to deliver fair outcomes for Māori, who are diagnosed earlier, experience more severe disease, and have higher rates of premature mortality from preventable long-term conditions.
Māori clinicians and health leaders have cautioned that the proposed shift could undo one of the most effective equity interventions introduced in recent years.
The consultation closes on 28 May 2026.
Māori health leaders warn proposed Pharmac changes could deepen inequities and cost lives
Te Tiratū has spoken with Whakaata Māori with serious concerns about proposed changes to access criteria for funded type 2 diabetes medicines, warning the removal of ethnicity-based pathways could worsen long-standing inequities for Māori and Pacific peoples.
The proposed changes by Pharmac would widen general access to medicines including empagliflozin, liraglutide and dulaglutide, but remove the current pathway that recognises the disproportionate burden of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease experienced by Māori and Pacific communities.
Te Tiratū co-chair Glen Tupuhi says equity pathways exist because the health system has consistently failed to deliver equitable outcomes for Māori, who are diagnosed younger, experience more severe illness, and die sooner from preventable chronic conditions.
Associate Professor Dr Ryan Paul, clinician and expert technical advisor to Te Tiratū, said he was “really gutted” by the proposal, particularly given the success of the current pathway in improving equitable access to life-saving medicines for Māori and Pacific whānau.
Māori clinicians and health leaders warn the proposal risks reversing one of the most successful equity interventions introduced in recent years.
The consultation closes on 28 May 2026.
Pharmac proposes removing priority access of type 2 diabetes meds
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board co-chair Glen Tupuhi and expert advisor, researcher Dr Leanne Te Karu have spoken to RNZ about growing concerns over Pharmac’s proposal to remove ethnicity-based access criteria for type 2 diabetes medicines, despite new evidence showing significant life-saving benefits for Māori and Pacific communities.
In the interview, Dr Te Karu said the original criteria were introduced because Māori and Pacific peoples were not receiving equitable access to treatment through the health system, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes, earlier onset disease, and more severe complications.
She said the medicines had been shown to improve equity outcomes and narrow survival gaps, warning that removing the criteria before systemic inequities are addressed risks widening disparities again.
Te Tiratū co-chair Glen Tupuhi said that treating everyone the same within an inequitable system does not create fairness, but instead entrenches inequity. Te Tiratū is filing a submission to Pharmac calling on it to reconsider the proposal and ensure equity remains central to decision-making for whānau experiencing the highest health burden.
Pharmac proposal to remove ethnicity criteria criticised
Pharmac is facing strong criticism in NZDoctor and Pharmacy Today over a proposal to remove ethnicity as a criterion for access to several diabetes medicines, with opponents warning the change could lead to more Māori and Pacific deaths and deepen long-standing inequities in the health system.
The proposal would amend Special Authority settings that currently prioritise access for groups disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes, including Māori and Pacific peoples who experience higher rates of earlier onset and more severe complications.
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board was quoted by both publications because we say removing ethnicity equity criteria raises serious concerns about whether Pharmac is meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi to achieve equitable Māori health outcomes.
We are warning that “treating all universally in the system does not create fairness. It entrenches inequity.”
Our board is calling for Pharmac to retain ethnicity-based access criteria, publish its equity impact analysis before consultation proceeds, clearly demonstrate how Māori health outcomes would improve under the proposed change, and engage directly with iwi Māori partnership boards, Māori clinicians and Māori health providers.
Submissions on the consultation close on 28 May 2026 leaving just 13 days for feedback on a proposal that critics say could reshape access to essential diabetes treatment.
Push back on Pharmac move to remove equity access criteria for lifesaving medicines
MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday 14 May 2026, 6:00 PM
2 minutes to Read
One of the largest Iwi Māori Partnership Boards in the country, Te Tiratū that represents 121,300 Māori is calling on Pharmac to immediately reconsider proposals to remove ethnicity equity criteria from access to SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists that are internationally recognised treatments for type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease.
Te Tiratū warns the proposal risks reversing one of the few medicines policy decisions in Aotearoa specifically designed to address entrenched inequities in diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease for Māori.
Pharmac has opened public consultation today on proposals to remove Māori and Pacific ethnicity from Special Authority access criteria for these medicines – despite the criteria being introduced in 2021 following sustained advocacy from Māori clinicians, researchers and Indigenous health leaders.
The ethnicity criteria were implemented because evidence showed Māori and Pacific peoples were significantly less likely to receive modern diabetes and cardiovascular medicines, despite carrying a substantially higher burden of disease and experiencing earlier and more severe complications.
Te Tiratū Co-Chair, Glen Tupuhi says the proposal ignores the overwhelming evidence that Māori experience significantly higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease, while continuing to face systemic barriers accessing medicines and treatment.
“These medicines save lives and prevent devastating complications for whānau,” he said. “Māori are diagnosed younger, become sicker earlier, and die sooner from preventable chronic illnesses. Equity pathways exist because the health system has not delivered equitable outcomes for Māori.”
Te Tiratū says the proposal is particularly concerning because the strongest emerging evidence for SGLT2 inhibitors is now in chronic kidney disease (CKD), including for people without diabetes.
They are around twice as likely to live with diabetes compared to non-Māori, experience cardiovascular disease at significantly higher rates, and face chronic kidney failure at disproportionately higher levels.
Diabetes often emerges around a decade sooner for Māori than in non-Māori populations, contributing to earlier onset of complications such as heart failure, kidney disease, amputations and premature death. Māori experience approximately 3.5 times higher mortality from diabetes-related causes and are significantly more likely to progress to end-stage renal failure, even when living with the same diagnosis.
The Waitangi Tribunal’s Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry (Wai 2575), including Wai 2919 filed by Associate Professor Leanne Te Karu, has documented “prescription inequity” within the New Zealand health system, including under-access to diabetes, cardiovascular and renal medicines for Māori.
Dr Leanne Te Karu, author of Te Tiratū’s recent position statement on 12-month prescriptions and claimant in Wai 2919 has consistently highlighted the impact prescription inequity has on Māori health outcomes.
Her research references the “missing million prescriptions” analysis, highlighting the scale of inequitable prescribing relative to Māori health need.
“Restricting equitable access to SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 medicines risks widening the very inequities the health system has acknowledged for years,” said Dr Te Karu.
Te Tiratū says removing ethnicity equity criteria raises serious concerns about whether Pharmac is meeting its obligations to achieve equitable Māori health outcomes under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“Treating all universally in the system does not create fairness. It entrenches inequity,” said Glen Tupuhi.
The Iwi Māori Partnership Board is calling on Pharmac to:
•Retain ethnicity equity criteria for access to these medicines;
•Publicly release equity impact analysis before consultation proceeds;
•Demonstrate how Māori health outcomes will improve if the criteria are removed;
•Engage directly with Iwi Māori Partnership Boards, Māori clinicians and Māori health providers;
•Uphold Te Tiriti obligations in medicines policy and funding decisions.
Te Tiratū says any proposal affecting equitable access to medicines must be assessed against the reality that Māori continue to experience some of the highest rates of avoidable illness, preventable hospitalisation and premature death in Aotearoa.
“Māori die at least seven years earlier.1 So these decisions are not abstract policy choices. They will directly affect whether whānau avoid dialysis, amputations, heart attacks and early death,” he said.
Te Tiratū is developing resources to support whānau, Māori health providers, clinicians and community leaders to make informed submissions ahead of the consultation deadline of 5:00pm, Thursday, 28 May, opposing the removal of equity access criteria.
It will also brief all 14 Iwi Māori Partnership Boards nationally, the Hauora Iwi Leaders Group within the National Iwi Leaders Forum, the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee to Minister Brown, the Attorney General, the Chief Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission, and Members of Parliament on the adverse impact the proposal could have on Māori health outcomes.
Dr Leanne Te Karu
Frontline reality for whānau in Waikato
The Waikato Local has covered Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board’s latest Stakeholder Forum for Hauora Māori Providers in Tainui Waka rohe.
They say the system is under growing strain, as rising demand and increasingly complex needs push services to their limits.
Thirty-two representatives from iwi, hauora and community organisations were in the room, spanning kaumātua support, whānau ora, primary health and grassroots mentoring.
Across the forum, providers said they are “holding the line” but the current approach is not sustainable.
They are calling for greater alignment across the system, earlier investment, and a stronger focus on what is already working in communities.
Iwi Māori Partnership Board calls for equity-led delivery in earlier bowel screening
MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday 30 March 2026, 5:00 AM
2 minutes to Read
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB), one of the largest in Aotearoa representing 121,300 whānau across the Tainui waka rohe, supports lowering the national bowel screening age to 58. It says the change will save lives, but only if equity for our Māori and Pacific whānau are central to how the programme is delivered.
Board member and clinician, Dr Mataroria Lyndon says the expansion is a positive move, but the data shows Māori and Pacific peoples are still being left behind at every stage of the screening pathway.
“Lowering the screening age is progress because it will help catch more cancers earlier. But the reality is stark. Around 60% of wāhine Māori and 50% of tāne Māori with bowel cancer are diagnosed before age 60, compared with about 30% in non-Māori. That means that even with screening starting at 58, a substantial proportion of Māori bowel cancers are likely to develop before people become eligible for screening.”
“Screening at 58 is better than 60, but it is not enough. The earlier we can detect bowel cancers among whānau Māori and Pacific, the more lives we can save. Ideally, the screening age should be lowered further and paired with equity-focused outreach and support.”
Data from the Te Tiratū IMPB priorities summary report highlights the scale of the challenge in the Waikato rohe. As at June 2023, 40.6 percent of the eligible Māori population in Waikato District had been screened for bowel cancer, compared with 57.4 percent of non-Māori.[1] Screening rates are lowest in younger age groups, where the largest numbers of Māori stand to benefit from earlier detection.
An average of 161 Māori die from cancer each year in Waikato District, and Māori are around twice as likely as non-Māori to die from any cancer. Dr Lyndon says these inequities reinforce the need for screening programmes that are not only broader but better designed.
“Expanding eligibility on its own is not enough. Equity must be built into delivery. That means services must be accessible, culturally appropriate, and actively reach whānau who are currently missing out.”
He acknowledged the leadership of kaupapa Māori providers in the region, including Taakiri Tuu wellness and diagnostic centre built and operated by Te Kōhao Health, who are already working to improve early detection and outcomes through whānau-centred models of care within the community.
“What we are seeing locally is what works. Māori providers are engaging our people in ways the mainstream system often cannot. They are trusted, connected, and delivering services that reflect the realities of our people’s lives. That is where continued investment and support are critical.”
Dr Lyndon says younger Māori remain a key priority, particularly given the evidence that bowel cancer can present earlier and progress more rapidly.
“The evidence is clear. Māori are more likely to develop bowel cancer at younger ages and experience worse outcomes. That means earlier screening must be paired with proactive outreach and support, especially for those in younger age groups who are currently underrepresented in screening programmes.”
Lowering the screening age is consistent with what the evidence has been telling us. Rates of colorectal cancer before age 50 have been increasing, with Māori experiencing faster growth compared to non-Māori. Findings published in the New Zealand Medical Journal show Māori are more likely to be diagnosed before screening begins, highlighting the urgency of earlier, equity-focused intervention.
Te Tiratū IMPB says it will continue to work alongside iwi, Hauora providers and hapori across the Waikato to ensure the expansion of bowel screening delivers meaningful gains for Māori.
“This is an opportunity to do things differently. We support the intent to extend access, but success will be measured by whether it actually reduces inequity. That requires sustained focus, investment, and accountability.”
[1] Source: https://tetiratu.co.nz/2024/09/30/hauora-maori-priorities/