World Smokefree Day is on 31 May and is about celebrating and working towards smokefree/auahi kore lives for New Zealanders.

Internationally, World Smokefree Day is known as World No Tobacco Day, and is celebrated annually on 31 May.

World Smokefree Day is celebrated and delivered at a local level with a theme being applied to current initiatives and priorities. Regional smokefree coalitions provide a collaborative approach and touchpoints for anyone wanting to get involved.

The objectives of World Smokefree Day (WSFD) in New Zealand are:

• raising awareness and contributing to the achievement of the Smokefree 2025 goal
• enabling better collaboration, planning and coordination of work within regions and across the country
• raising awareness of the smokefree kaupapa with the underlying objectives of reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and increasing quit attempts
• enabling continuity and consistency of messaging and creative across the country
• building on and complementing current work in tobacco control.

About the theme

The theme for World Smokefree Day 2018 is ‘it’s about whānau’ with a focus on celebrating New Zealand’s smokefree achievements.

The majority of New Zealanders are smokefree and want smokefree environments. Having smokefree whānau, homes, workplaces and public spaces is worth celebrating! Tihei manawa ora! Sneeze, the breath of life!