Te Whatu Ora Whanganui promotes smokefree environments, homes and cars and works with marae, local bodies, sports clubs and other groups around smoke free policies.

Tobacco smoking is the single largest cause of preventable illness and death in New Zealand, contributing to around 5000 deaths each year. Tobacco use is a related factor for one in four cancer deaths in this country. The WDHB is committed to the national drive towards a Smokefree New Zealand by 2025.

The Ministry of Health introduced the 'Better Help for Smokers to Quit' National Health Target for hospitalised patients in 2009. All district health board secondary care services are required to report quarterly, to the MoH, against this target. Nationally, Te Whatu Ora's target is to have 95 percent of hospitalised smokers being given brief advice and offers of help to quit smoking.