Māori tobacco control advocates hope a new research programme will give Māori communities the tools they need to become smokefree.

Whakaha o Te Pā Harakeke is a collaboration between Otago University, Hāpai Te Hauora, Kōkiri Marae, Keriana Olsen Trust, and ESR.

It was launched this morning at Kōkiri Marae in Petone.

The collective has a $4.95 million programme grant from the Health Research Council to work with Māori communities to help eliminate smoking inequities and accelerate progress towards a Smokefree Aotearoa.

Otago University primary investigator Anaru Waa says work is needed to better understand what is causing smoking disparities to exist and what can be done from a policy perspective and a community perspective.

Hāpai chief executive Selah Hart says a tobacco-free nation is a Māori nation.

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