It’s time to break free. To reclaim our hauora, our future, and our whānau. For Rangiwai Williams, that time is now.

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Smoking has been a part of her whānau for generations. It was normal, expected—just something that had always been there. But Rangiwai refuses to pass it on. “I don’t want my kids to see smoking as part of our whānau legacy,” she says. With her next pēpi due in April, she knew she had to make a change.

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Quitting wasn’t easy. Like so many others, smoking had become a daily routine—something to reach for in moments of stress, out of habit, even just to fit in. “I would find it difficult to not smoke if somebody else was smoking,” Rangiwai shares. “I felt I had to join in because I didn’t want to be the odd one out.”

 

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That feeling is familiar to many of us. Smoking has been woven into our lives, our gatherings, our shared experiences. But Rangiwai made a choice: it stops with her. She reached out to Toki Rau Stop Smoking Service, ready to take control of her future.

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And now? She’s free. “The guilt and weight of smoking are gone. I find other ways to occupy my day instead of smoking because the addiction to nicotine can also lead to drug use,” she explains.

 

“Now, I am the odd one out—and I’m good with that.”

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Her journey is a powerful reminder that change is possible. With the support of Toki Rau and Whakapiri Ora at Te Hiku Hauora, she’s not just quitting for herself—she’s doing it for her tamariki, for their future, for a stronger, healthier whānau. And now, we ask you, whānau—if Rangiwai can do it, why can’t we?

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Smokefree 2025 is Within Reach. Toki Rau is making the message loud and clear—a Smokefree Far North is possible. Look out for our new digital billboard outside Te Hiku Hauora, sharing real stories like Rangiwai’s and inspiring others to take the first step.

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Enough is enough. This is the final push. This is our moment. Let’s do this, whānau!

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Need Support? Reach Out to Toki Rau

📞 0508 TOKI RAU (0508 865 7728)
📩 referrals@tokirau.co.nz

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