Waka Ama NZ has been commended for banning fizzy drinks at their annual national competition as thousands descended on Lake Karapiro for the start of the event on Monday.
Hāpai Te Hauora general manager Janell Dymus-Kurei singled out the organiser of the annual event for its commitment to being fizz-free, as the Auckland health department joined the NZ Dental Association to urge the Government to introduce labelling regulations on sugary drinks.
"This event is a great example of leadership in Māori health," Dymus-Kurei said.
The Waka Ama Nationals kicked off on Monday morning.
"The organisers have shown a strong commitment to oranga tinana through the promotion of physical activity which is embedded in te ao Māori."
A New Zealand study found last year sugary drinks sold in NZ supermarkets were among the most unhealthy in the world, with 52 per cent of drinks purchased here containing added sugar.
This year's event is the largest ever with 3577 paddlers.
That figure is lower across the ditch, with 42.2 per cent of drinks in Australia containing sugar, 42.8 per cent in Canada and only nine per cent in the UK.
Fizzy drinks and fruit juices are the most sugar-laden, and Dymus-Kurei said Tamariki Māori suffered disproportionately from the consequences of drinking sugary drinks.
"It's often unclear to parents which drinks are healthy, and which should be treat drinks only," Dymus-Kurei said.
"We believe stricter labelling regulations, in tandem with efforts like those of the waka ama championship organisers and increased availability of safe, clean water, will help convince whānau to choose wai Māori."
Te Ururoa Flavell, chief executive of waka ama sponsor and educational institution Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, said such an initiative at a family event with participants as young as 10 was really important, and being fizz-free is an example Waka Ama NZ has set for six years now.
The waka ama championships are among many Māori events that are smoke-and alcohol-free, so it's logical to have a fizz-free event as having sugary drinks at sports events is a contradiction in terms, he said.
"Going to fizzy-drink free is a great initiative and it shows that people are thinking in that space about healthy people and, indeed, trying to embed that amongst the children, so that it goes through to adulthood."
Auckland educational coordinator and waka ama athlete Tina Taupu doesn't drink fizzy beverages. She loves the fact the event is fizz-free because everyone benefits from a healthy environment.
"All the stalls here are hot-chip free and fizzy-drink free, we're trying to get away from that to set an example for the young ones."