Welcome to Action for Smokefree 2025
On 31st May 2017, World Smokefree Day, ASH relaunched as Action for Smokefree 2025.
The organisation has undergone a lot changes in the last year. Most significant was the end of our funding relationship with the Ministry of Health after nearly 20 years. It has been a long and productive relationship resulting in some huge milestones for smokefree New Zealand, including smokefree workplaces, tobacco tax increases, advertising bans, treatment funding and groundbreaking research into smoking in New Zealand.
We were sad to end this relationship, but it has also created an opportunity for ASH to get back to basics and focus on campaigning for the political leadership to achieve Smokefree 2025.
Smokefree 2025 is only 8 years away, and New Zealand is running out of time. The goal is to get smoking rates below 5% by 2025, however at the current rate of decline it will take until 2040.
It’s an exciting chance for ASH to get back to basics and build a social movement for change. Without government funding ASH can campaign for the political leadership needed, and do so as an independent and objective campaign organisation. Our focus will be on building the political consensus to achieve Smokefree 2025.
Over the next few weeks we will be building our campaigns and inviting our members and supporters to join the movement for Smokefree 2025. Action for Smokefree 2025 is back to basics as a grass roots campaign organisation, and we need your support to achieve the goal.
ASH is also committed to supporting our partner organisations. In 2016 the Ministry of Health changed how they fund advocacy, and after a competitive process the new national Tobacco Advocacy Service was awarded to Hapai te Hauora Tapui. ASH has a long history of partnership with Hapai, and we are delighted to continue this.
Our newly found independence gives ASH a unique voice that can stand alongside our smokefree colleagues in calling for the urgent action to achieve Smokefree 2025.
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Latest News
See all news >Labour's 'panic' over teen vaping shows it hasn't learned from other addictive substances - ASH
23 August 2023
Ben Youdan, the director of ASH (Action for Smokefree 2025), on Labour's recent reaction ove...
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New Zealand's youth vaping crisis clouds smoke-free future
13 August 2023
Ben Youdan, the director of ASH (Action for Smokefree 2025), on banning vaping issues. To ...
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Calls grow for tighter vaping rules in NZ
30 May 2023
Ben Youdan, the director of ASH (Action for Smokefree 2025), on sources from where students ...
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Why an anti-smoking group doesn't support a ban on vaping
10 May 2023
Ben Youdan, the director of ASH (Action for Smokefree 2025), compares the level of harmfulne...
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Newsable: GPs, anti-smoking charity at odds over vaping proposal
15 March 2023
Ben Youdan, the director of ASH (Action for Smokefree 2025), on restrictions around vaping p...
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We're winning the smokefree race - but it's no time to let up
30 December 2022
Emeritus Professor and chairperson of ASH, Robert Beaglehole, on 2025 Smokefree goal. To r...
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Survey shows milestone drop in smoking among Pasifika youth
09 December 2022
RNZ reported today a result of one of the largest youth smoking surveys showing a low record...
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ASH talks to Newshub investigation on illicit tobacco
06 September 2022
Newshub investigation finds black market tobacco being sold online out of homes https://www....
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