MB BChir, MRCP, FCPHM(NZ), MPH, MD
Co-Director ASPIRE 2025; Co-Director HePPRU;
Contact details
Tel 64 4 918 5089
Email richard.edwards@otago.ac.nz
Twitter @ProfEdwardsNZ
Skype pr.edwards.nz
Research interests and activities
Richard trained as a public health physician in the UK, and came to Wellington in November 2005. He has over 20 years experience in tobacco control practice and research in the UK and New Zealand. Richard is co-director of ASPIRE 2025 research collaboration and co-director of the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit (HePPRU).
His main research interests are in tobacco use epidemiology and tobacco control (see ASPIRE2025). He has also carried out research in a variety of other areas, notably environmental epidemiology and non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.
His current research focus is on tobacco control policy research, particularly in relation to achieving the Tupeka Kore vision of ending significant tobacco use in Aotearoa/New Zealand by 2025.
He is principal investigator on the New Zealand arm of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Evaluation project.
Examples of recently completed research projects include:
- An evaluation of the 2003 Smokefree Amendment Act in New Zealand
- Air quality studies in hospitality venues, cars and other settings in New Zealand and the UK
- An investigation of the influence of point-of-sale tobacco displays and the effectiveness of the removal of point-of-sale displays in New Zealand and internationally
- Exploring influences on the uptake of smoking among Māori and non-Māori children
- An investigation of the feasibility of endgame solutions to tobacco control in New Zealand
- An exploration of whether young adults make a truly informed choice when they start smoking
Richard is a Deputy Editor of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research and serves on various expert advisory committees including for Hāpai Te Hauora the national tobacco control advocacy service and the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation.
Publications
Ball, J., Sim, D., & Edwards, R. (2018). Addressing ethnic disparaties in adolescent smoking: Is reducing exposure to smoking in the home a key? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, nty053. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nty053
Edwards, R., Tu, D., Stanley, J., Martin, G., Gifford, H., & Newcombe, R. (2018). Smoking prevalence among doctors and nurses: 2013 New Zealand census data. New Zealand Medical Journal, 131(1471), 48-57. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Logan, S., Twine, S., Bromiley, G., Curtis, H., Ball, J., & Edwards, R. (2018). Factors influencing the smoking status of ex-prisoners reintegrating into the community after release: A pilot study. New Zealand Medical Journal, 131(1470), 94-96. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Hogg, S. L., Thomson, G., & Edwards, R. (2018). Achieving an end to government tobacco tax revenues: Another challenge for the tobacco endgame? Tobacco Induced Diseases, 16(Suppl. 1), A29. doi: 10.18332/tid/84176
Waa, A., Edwards, R., Stanley, J., Kaai, S., Quah, A. C. K., & Fong, G. (2018). Indigenous and non-indigenous experiences and views of tobacco tax increases: Findings from the ITC New Zealand survey. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 16(Suppl. 1), A684. doi: 10.18332/tid/84075
