10 Dec 2009

Tobacco inquiry submissions being co-ordinated

7:18 am on 10 December 2009

Anti-smoking organisations meet in Auckland on Thursday to consider responses to an inquiry into the tobacco industry by the Maori Affairs Select Committee.

Smokefree coalition director Prudence Stone told Waatea News the coalition wants its member organisations to leave the select committee in no doubt that the tobacco companies are killing Maori.

She said it's important that what she describes as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to make the case against the tobacco industry is not lost during the holiday season.

Mrs Stone said the aim is not to have tobacco banned, but for smoking to be increasingly seen as socially unacceptable.

Submissions close at the end of January.