Give quitting a go; give your lungs a chance

27 May 2011

• World Smokefree Day is on 31 May

Tuesday is World Smokefree Day and the Asthma Foundation is urging New Zealanders who smoke to quit, and give their lungs a chance.

“The good news is that there’s more support available than ever, “says the Chief Executive of the Asthma Foundation, Angela Francis.

Through the Quit Group, smokers can call the Quitline, get on-line advice from a Quit Coach, have quitting tips and supportive messages texted to their mobile phone or receive daily email updates on how much money they are saving by not smoking.

An 8 week supply of either nicotine patches, gum or lozenges costs smokers only $3.

As a founding member of the Smokefree Coalition, the Foundation’s right behind the campaign for a Smokefree New Zealand.

“We say: ‘Don’t give up, quit!’ You can do it with the right support,” Angela says.

It’s also important that New Zealanders who smoke and the people who care about them, know about COPD – emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

COPD typically makes breathing difficult and even walking to the letterbox or cooking dinner can become impossible. People with COPD often have to hook up to oxygen concentrators, and the effect these limitations have on peoples’ psychological and emotional wellbeing is often severe.

More than 200 000 New Zealanders live with COPD and it is estimated that 80 percent of them (160 000-plus people] developed COPD because of smoking.

“Members of our COPD support groups regularly tell us how much they regret smoking and would like to warn other people of the dangers involved,” Angela says.

The Smokefree Coalition says that the Ministry of Health’s recent Tobacco Use Survey showed New Zealand was 80 percent smokefree. However, of the New Zealanders who still smoked, 80 percent regretted smoking and would not start if they had the chance to live their lives over.

“The data tells us quitting successfully is difficult for the last of the smokers, but for COPD sufferers quitting is so important, ” Dr Stone says.

Whatever age you are, however long you have smoked, whether you have been diagnosed with COPD or not, quitting can make a meaningful difference. The Asthma Foundation encourages anyone with COPD who has not given up cigarettes to think again. Every cigarette does damage.

Lung cancer kills more New Zealanders than any other cancer too.

If you want help quitting, call the Quit Line on 0800 778 778, or visit www.quit.org.nz.

ENDS

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