One early learning service in Ōpōtiki made changes to their policies and practices to help protect tamariki from second and third hand smoke.

The service manager says; “When we put our smokefree policy out for review, a concern was raised by a parent about the visibility of staff members smoking and also how this might be affecting our tamariki. Although staff were already required to go off site and out of site, the concern from the parent prompted a review of the visibility of staff smoking and the impact of their smoking when they returned to work with the tamariki (especially our pēpi).  Staff would typically just spray on lots of deodorant to try and disguise the smoke smell.”

We contacted our local stop smoking service, Hapainga, who provided advice that was then taken back to a staff meeting. We raised awareness of the impact of second and third hand smoke, in particular about how toxic chemicals from smoking can be absorbed into fabrics, clothing and even skin, and can stay there a long time. We encouraged our kaiako to attempt to quit smoking and let them know about the support Hapaigna could offer. But we also  recognised it was a personal choice and not easy to do.

A positive outcome was to review the practices for staff returning to work after smoking.

Our policies were updated so that smoking staff are now required to wear a smoking jacket, to cover their hair (with a scarf or similar), and when they return to work to wash their hands and brush their teeth or use mouth wash. Smoking staff are now more aware of the impact of their smoking on tamariki and have a greater understanding of second and third hand smoke. We also had two of our teachers move from smoking to vaping, and all staff are now more aware of the support available if they choose to start on their quit journey.

This was a great example for us of how a concern from whānau can be a great motivator for a positive change in our culture with the wellbeing of tamariki at the core.