Tariana Turia � recipient of the 2014 WHO �World No Tobacco Day� award

Maori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia has been announced as a recipient of the 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) �World No Tobacco Day� award.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on 31st May each year and the WHO recognises up to around 40 individuals or organisations around the world for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of three or four WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards and Certificates (global), and five to six World No Tobacco Day Awards in each of the six WHO regions. Mrs Turia’s award is one of six World No Tobacco Day Awards in the Western Pacific Region, Scoop.co.nz reports.

�We are extremely proud of this international recognition for Tariana. She has been the driving force behind tobacco control in Aotearoa-New Zealand. She is passionate about the health and well-being of all New Zealanders and her work to ban tobacco and achieve a smoke-free country by 2025 is well on track,� says Co-Leader Te Ururoa Flavell.

Dr Pita Sharples said, �Excise tax, banning tobacco displays, promoting driving in smoke-free cars and introducing plain packaging will reduce the uptake of smoking and will save lives. Smoking kills nearly 5000 New Zealanders every year and the M?ori Party will do whatever we can to rid our country of this killer product. The M?ori Party applauds Tariana for leading us in this work and congratulates her for the recognition by the WHO,� reports SCOOP.