King Country family
‘‘We are mindful the photos we have made public to date may now not accurately depict what Tom and the children look like,’’ four have never smoked.
All three sets of data challenge the notion that teens are only taking up vaping instead of smoking.
If young smokers were simply switching, the rise in vaping should roughly mirror the fall in smoking. Instead, the growing use of vapes massively outstrips the decline in smoking.
Māori girls, for example, had the biggest drop in daily smoking, from 6.8% in 2019 to 3.7% in 2021. But that was far outweighed by the increase in daily vaping. More than one in five (21%) Māori girls now vape daily, up from one in 19 (5.2%) in 2019.
It is also not necessarily a straight swap. Eight out of 10 daily smokers also vaped every day and only one in six of those vaped mostly to quit or reduce cigarette use. That matters because some research suggests the smoke/ vape combo can be just as harmful.
So while record low teen smoking is worth celebrating, record high teen vaping should not be dismissed as just experimentation or vaping displacing smoking.
Reporting disclosure statement: This post was written with expert advice from Otago University senior research fellow in public health Dr Jude Ball. It was reviewed by The Whole
Truth: Te Māramatanga expert panel member and Otago University epidemiologist Associate Professor Jason Gurney.
Loughrin said. ‘‘When Tom Phillips was last seen by family in February, he had a beard and that alone will make him look considerably different than in the photos we have circulated.’’
The children’s appearances would have also changed since they were last seen in January.
‘‘They will be taller; they will have either lost baby teeth or started to get their adult teeth and will likely be wearing their hair in different styles.
‘‘They could also be using different names,’’ Loughrin said.
‘‘If you think you may have seen them, or know where they are, we want the opportunity to follow up that information.’’
Police continued to have regular contact with their extended family, Loughrin said.
‘‘I want to acknowledge both the children’s mother and Tom’s wider family who continue to be living with extreme stress and anxiety.’’
Anyone who can assist should contact police via 105 and quote file number 211218/5611.
The family first made headlines nearly a year ago when Phillips took his children into the bush near Marokopa.
They had last been seen on September 11. Phillips’ ute had been found below the tideline at Kiritehere Beach, sparking concerns for their safety.
Deaths in NZ