2 Jul 2008

Niue could become world's first smoke-free nation

7:31 pm on 2 July 2008

Niue could become the world's first smoke free nation.

The Director of Niue's Deparment of Health Dr Sitaleki Finau says the department has been working through the practicalities of becoming smoke free for some time.

Last year Tuapa became the first village in Niue - and possibly the world - to declare itself smoke free.

And Dr Finau says the department would like to see other villages and individual homes follow suit.

"We're trying to get some other villages to buy into that and in fact one of the policies we're looking for is to see if we can make Niue the first smoke-free country"

Dr Finau says the banning of cigarettes would see a drop in government revenue due to the tobacco tax but that any losses would be more than off-set by savings in the health budget.