Free professional advice to help smokers quit

21st May 2009

Free professional advice to help smokers quit

The Western Bay smokefree coalition including Tauranga Hospital and the Nga Kakano Foundation is preparing to support World Smokefree Day. Trained quit coaches will be on-hand for people to talk to as well as free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

“World Smokefree Day is a great time for people to think about quitting and we want people to know that help is available at no cost,” says Bay of Plenty District Health Board smokefree coordinator Sue Freeman. “Anyone wanting to quit smoking, or to talk to someone about it, can visit Tauranga Hospital main reception on May 29. The smoking cessation team will provide a twelve month quit smoking care program for you, your whanau and friends, free of charge. The program can include Habitrol nicotine patches, gum and lozenges, plus a personalised care plan.”

Bayfair Shopping Centre at Mount Maunganui is also hosting a smokefree event called ‘When Stylez Collide’ on Saturday May 30. The event will feature a number of New Zealand’s leading rapp’n dance crews with prizes for the top competitors.

“Quit coaches will provide support to you, your whanau and friends looking to commence the ’smokefree journey of your life’,” says Sue.

Sue says smoking is responsible for almost 5000 deaths each year (around 13 people each day, or everyone living in Matua). She says smoking rates in the Bay of Plenty region continue to be higher than the national average and more women than men are regular smokers in this region. However, research shows that most smokers want to quit. In fact, more than 65 per cent of all smokers have made an attempt to quit in the last five years.
”We want smokers to know they can make a positive change even if they have tried before unsuccessfully,”says Sue.

[subheading] Trained quit coaches will be on-hand in the following locations:
* Tauranga Hospital main entrance - Friday May 29, 8.30am - 4.30pm
* Quit coaches will also move through the hospital throughout the day
* Bayfair Shopping Centre ‘When Styelz Collide’ event - Saturday May 30, 10am – 3pm

For people wanting help to quit smoking over the phone or internet, call Quitline on 0800 778 778 or visit www.quit.org.nz. Alternatively talk to your GP or practice nurse for advice. The Nga Kakano Foundation is Tauranga Hospital’s community provider for patients wanting help to quit smoking and uses a programme developed by Maori for Maori, called the Aukati Kai Paipa programme. This free programme can be accessed by anyone living in the Western Bay of Plenty, through GPs, midwives, the hospital or by calling 07 573 4846.

The theme for this year’s International World Smokefree Day on May 31 is ‘Give quitting a go’. For more information on World Smokefree Day, go to www.worldsmokefreeday.org.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media