Kia ora!

On Tuesday 4 September 2007 delegates were welcomed to the inaugural Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Auckland New Zealand. The conference opened with a pōwhiri (traditional Māori welcome) for nearly 400 delegates from over 30 different countries. From the opening karanga (welcome call) to the closing hymn the conference had a strong multi-cultural feel. This, mixed with presentations on cutting edge research and practice, made for an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable four days.

The conference theme – From Vision to Reality – was well-reflected in both plenary and parallel presentations. Speakers looked to the future rather than dwelt on past achievements and as a result the whole event had a real sense of action. Delegates left Auckland re-energised in their efforts to make the Smokefree Oceania vision a reality.