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phcc.bsky.social
Public Health Communication Centre
@phcc.bsky.social
770 followers 350 following 300 posts
Promoting research, analysis and commentary for a healthier Aotearoa.
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www.phcc.org.nz
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phcc.bsky.social
Smoking quit rates stall in NZ. @janethoek.bsky.social @predwards.bsky.social
#PublicHealth #TobaccoControl

www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/smo...
Smoking prevalence and trends: Important findings from the 2024-25 New Zealand Health Survey
Daily smoking rates in Aotearoa have stalled at about 6.8% for three years, with persistent inequities and widening gender gaps indicating the Smokefree 2025 goal will not be met.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 26, 2025 at 12:33 AM
phcc.bsky.social
Most NZ teens start social media between ages 10 and 13, a period critical for brain development and emotional regulation. #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pro...
Problematic social media use common among NZ teens as government examines age limits
New survey findings show that problematic social media use is common among NZ teens and many support setting a minimum access age of 16 years.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 20, 2025 at 12:38 AM
phcc.bsky.social
Nearly 1 in 4 NZ teens meet criteria for problematic social media use and over a third fall into a risky category according to new survey. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pro...
Problematic social media use common among NZ teens as government examines age limits
New survey findings show that problematic social media use is common among NZ teens and many support setting a minimum access age of 16 years.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 19, 2025 at 8:34 PM
phcc.bsky.social
"Will this government listen? Will they realise we are killing too many people at work, and making too many people sick because of work, and it's costing us $5.5 billion a year."

omny.fm/shows/the-fr...
NZ is still killing too many workers - The Front Page
15 years ago, 29 men went to work and never returned home. The Pike River mine explosion shocked New Zealand and the world, prompting three inquiries, a new regulator and new laws. But new research ...
omny.fm
November 18, 2025 at 11:22 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Diet-related disease is rising in NZ and the food system plays a major role. The Briefing sets out how better policy settings could create healthier food environments. #foodsystems www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/ref...
Reframing the narrative: A call for a human rights-centred food system in Aotearoa
Aotearoa’s food system must be redesigned to prioritise health, equity, and access to nutritious food.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 18, 2025 at 1:29 AM
phcc.bsky.social
NZ produces high-quality food yet many households still struggle to afford healthy options. This Briefing examines how trade-driven settings shape our diets and what systemic changes could strengthen food security. #foodsecurity
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/ref...
Reframing the narrative: A call for a human rights-centred food system in Aotearoa
Aotearoa’s food system must be redesigned to prioritise health, equity, and access to nutritious food.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 17, 2025 at 9:28 PM
phcc.bsky.social
"We should follow ...other countries to better protect the lives and wellbeing of our workers and also boost productivity. We owe the 29 Pike River miners this much." www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fif...
Fifteen years after Pike River: Time for leadership on workplace health and safety
Aotearoa’s workplace health and safety record has seen little improvement since Pike River. We need stronger leadership and better enforcement to reduce harm and improve outcomes.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 13, 2025 at 11:46 PM
phcc.bsky.social
“No-one can be assured that they are protected in their workplace. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one – no-one should be killed in their workplace.”
@stuff.co.nz www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
Fifteen years on from Pike River, New Zealand is still failing workers, experts say
Some relatives of the 2010 mining tragedy are fighting against health and safety legislation being “watered down” by the Government.
www.thepress.co.nz
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
phcc.bsky.social
15 years on from Pike River, NZ still records 2x the workplace deaths of Australia and 4x the UK per capita. System-level reform in workplace health and safety is needed. #publichealth
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fif...
Fifteen years after Pike River: Time for leadership on workplace health and safety
Aotearoa’s workplace health and safety record has seen little improvement since Pike River. We need stronger leadership and better enforcement to reduce harm and improve outcomes.
www.phcc.org.nz
November 13, 2025 at 8:16 PM
phcc.bsky.social
NZ’s ranking for protection from tobacco industry interference has fallen dramatically from 2nd to 53rd in global ranking, with repealed smokefree laws and a tax cut for heated tobacco products noted as key factors. @janethoek.bsky.social

tinyurl.com/yfek4fwm
Aotearoa plummets from 2nd to 53rd in Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index ranking
Recent policy changes have led to a dramatic drop in NZ’s global ranking for tobacco interference protection.
tinyurl.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:09 PM
phcc.bsky.social
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...
Govt's climate strategy: Let it burn
Comment: The Government has relentlessly pursued policies that boost climate pollution – even if they cost more or jeopardise NZ's reputation, Marc Daalder writes
newsroom.co.nz
November 9, 2025 at 11:12 PM
phcc.bsky.social
"If there is a coherent throughline to the totality of the Government’s climate policies, it can only be a willingness to
increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming."
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...
Govt's climate strategy: Let it burn
Comment: The Government has relentlessly pursued policies that boost climate pollution – even if they cost more or jeopardise NZ's reputation, Marc Daalder writes
newsroom.co.nz
November 9, 2025 at 10:51 PM
phcc.bsky.social
New research shows people entering public housing in Aotearoa #NZ have far higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, highlighting the importance of maintaining and expanding public housing. #PublicHealth
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pub...
Public housing serves those with the greatest need—contrary to Government’s review claims
New research shows people living in public housing have higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, contradicting the findings of a government-commissioned report.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 29, 2025 at 1:00 AM
phcc.bsky.social
New research finds that people entering public housing in Aotearoa have far higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, contrary to govt-commissioned report. tinyurl.com/uy8h4x3h
Public housing serves those with the greatest need—contrary to Government’s review claims
New research shows people living in public housing have higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, contradicting the findings of a government-commissioned report.
tinyurl.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
phcc.bsky.social
New research shows exclusion/elimination strategies achieved the lowest Covid-19 mortality internationally, with no consistent evidence of economic disadvantage. #PublicHealth

www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/gre...
The great divide: How different Covid-19 control strategies shaped pandemic outcomes
New research shows that internationally, jurisdictions that adopted exclusion/elimination strategies achieved dramatically lower Covid-19 mortality during the critical 2020-21 period without clear eco...
www.phcc.org.nz
October 21, 2025 at 8:16 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Two in three New Zealanders will develop skin cancer. Prevention works, but only if it’s funded. The Briefing calls for stronger UVR protection across schools, workplaces, sports, and councils. @NZCancerSo #SunSafety #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/aot...
Aotearoa’s skin cancer crisis: The case for sun safety action
Stronger policy is needed to reduce skin cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand, where prevention investment is critically low despite rising health costs and public support for more action.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 19, 2025 at 9:59 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Skin cancer is NZ’s most common and preventable cancer costing $450m a year. Yet government prevention funding is just $300k, one quarter of what it was 20 years ago. Time to make sun safety a public health priority. @NZCancerSo #PublicHealth #skincancer
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/aot...
Aotearoa’s skin cancer crisis: The case for sun safety action
Stronger policy is needed to reduce skin cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand, where prevention investment is critically low despite rising health costs and public support for more action.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Dr Liz Gordon, from Communities Against Alcohol Harm, said this was the "biggest number ever" to oppose a licence, and the local community would be "relieved and delighted" at the decision.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
October 16, 2025 at 8:02 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Restrictive rental rules can stop people from sharing rent, caring for whānau, or supporting friends in need. Tenancy laws should protect people, not just property. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/how...
How many people can rent a house together? Why occupancy limits need reform
Some landlords are setting restrictive occupancy limits in Aotearoa New Zealand that prevent families from living together, drive up housing costs, and even force some tenants from their homes.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 14, 2025 at 1:20 AM
phcc.bsky.social
"One woman with breast cancer was unable to take on another tenant to share rent costs, despite being the only tenant in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home."
www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
Families forced apart by unnecessary tenancy rules, research finds
A group of academics has called for reform of tenant occupancy limits, saying they are splitting up families and leaving homes underused.
www.thepress.co.nz
October 13, 2025 at 10:33 PM
phcc.bsky.social
New research shows landlords often set restrictive limits on how many people can live in a rental home, sometimes forcing families apart. These rules protect property, not people. It’s time tenancy law caught up. @universityofotago.bsky.social www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/how...
How many people can rent a house together? Why occupancy limits need reform
Some landlords are setting restrictive occupancy limits in Aotearoa New Zealand that prevent families from living together, drive up housing costs, and even force some tenants from their homes.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 13, 2025 at 9:07 PM
phcc.bsky.social
The health effects of climate change are unevenly distributed. Communities with fewer resources face higher risks and fewer protections. Policy responses in Aotearoa must prioritise equity. #climateaction #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/cli...
Climate change is harming health: The need for urgent action
With mounting evidence of climate change’s health consequences, the case for urgent action is stronger than ever.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM
phcc.bsky.social
Climate change is a threat to public health. Transformational change is needed in Aotearoa across energy, transport, housing, and agriculture to protect health and reduce inequities. #climateaction #publichealth
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/cli...
Climate change is harming health: The need for urgent action
With mounting evidence of climate change’s health consequences, the case for urgent action is stronger than ever.
www.phcc.org.nz
October 7, 2025 at 8:41 PM
phcc.bsky.social
97% of young people in Aotearoa go online several times a day or almost constantly, and many say they feel “addicted” to platforms that keep them online while profiting from their data.
www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/alm...
“Almost constant”: Young people overwhelmed by harmful online marketing
Young people say they are constantly exposed to harmful digital marketing for alcohol, vaping and other unhealthy products on social media. They tell researchers it's "inescapable".
www.phcc.org.nz
October 6, 2025 at 3:19 AM
phcc.bsky.social
"Nine hours, thirty-two minutes on my phone in one day. They just get more data to make my ads more personal." — Sarah, 18.
Social media platforms profit from keeping youth hooked and selling their data.

www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/alm...
“Almost constant”: Young people overwhelmed by harmful online marketing
Young people say they are constantly exposed to harmful digital marketing for alcohol, vaping and other unhealthy products on social media. They tell researchers it's "inescapable".
www.phcc.org.nz
October 5, 2025 at 9:18 PM