Focus on ABC Cessation programme

Focus on ABC Cessation programme for World Smokefree Day

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is supporting World Smokefree Day on 31 May by further reinforcing the ABC Cessation programme which is already being implemented by its staff.

Through the programme, staff Ask every patient admitted if they smoke and if they would like to quit; provide the patient with Brief advice and refer the patient to a Cessation provider.

CDHB Smokefree Co-ordinator Vivien Daley says “There are plenty of good reasons to give up smoking but for many people it’s the cravings that they find the hardest to deal with. Nicotine is addictive and you will start to feel cravings as the nicotine leaves your system.”

Vivien recommends that people wishing to quit smoking use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches, gum or lozenges to replace the nicotine in their system. They need to continue with this for several weeks so they can deal with the changes they need to make to be a successful non-smoker, without being driven to smoke again by the cravings.

“It may take you several attempts to quit before you are successful but you are closer to quitting with every attempt you make. Ask your family and friends to encourage you to succeed and give their support by not smoking around you,” says Vivien.

There are many places to get help. Talk to your local health professional – doctor, nurse or pharmacist. They can give you access to a Quit Card which will help you get very low cost NRT patches, lozenges or gum You can also contact your local Aukati Kaipaipa quit coach – contact details at www.aukatikaipaipa.co.nz . Quitline (0800 778 778) provides free advice. You can also learn more about the various quit approaches (face-to-face, phone, text, online) by visiting http://www.quitsmoking.org.nz/?id=12. to help you quit.

Smoking facts:

• NRT is safe – it is the other 4000 chemicals in the cigarette that make smoking so dangerous to your health.

• Regardless of how old you are, quitting will still improve your health.

• In as little as two days of being smokefree, your senses of smell and taste improve.

• After six hours your heartbeat slows down to normal and your blood pressure goes down.

• After a year of being smokefree you have almost halved your risk of sudden death from a heart attack. If you stay smokefree for another four years, you are at the same risk of sudden death from heart attack as a non-smoker. If you have already developed heart disease, this is not reversible, but quitting smoking is still the very best thing you can do for your heart.

• If you quit your life expectancy improves by 15 years

• Your children are less likely to smoke if you don’t

ENDS

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