Introducing TUA - Hine and Tāne, chatbots for those on smoke-free journeys

Two new digital tools have been launched for young tāne and wahine who want to stop smoking. TUA - Hine and Tāne chatbots are available 24/7 on Facebook Messenger, sending daily check-ins, tips and distractions to provide support through the first 30 days of stopping smoking.

Alongside the chatbots, the TUA website and social media pages offer a wealth of mātauranga Māori to help whānau connect to themselves and te taiao (the natural environment). This includes knowledge of maramataka (the Māori lunar cycle), pūrākau (stories and legends), and karakia to empower them in their daily lives on their smoke-free journey.

The gap is closing in meeting our Smokefree 2025 goal for Aotearoa, and while smoking rates continue to drop across the country, TUA offers another tool for those wanting to stop smoking. Kathrine Clarke, Director of Health Promotion at Te Whatu Ora, says, "This technology offers a contemporary solution to support those who want to stop smoking and improve their wellbeing. Rangatahi can access immediate support on their terms and connect to other smoking support services through the chatbot."

The creation of the chatbots has been a collaborative effort involving many supporters, including passionate wāhine Māori.

Jason Alexandar, Hāpai te Hauora CEO, says, "We look back to our ancestors and see their sharp intellect in creating new technologies. While smoking isn’t from here or belongs to us, we have the tools and creativity to find innovative solutions to be well. TUA is an example of that."

TUA Channels:
TUA Website:  https://tua.nz
TUA Hine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hinechatbot
TUA Tāne Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanechatbot
TUA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tuachatbot/