Helping people quit smoking in general practice

This manual has been created as a resource for general practices to aid in the delivery of effective smoking cessation services.

The resource will help you evaluate your current practice and identify any changes that could be made to improve your smoking cessation service and ultimately reduce the number of smokers at your practice.

The 2017/18: New Zealand Health Survey shows the prevalence of current smokers in New Zealand is 13 per cent (estimated at 512,000 adults), with rates still highest in Māori and Pacific Island populations. Approximately 5,000 people die in New Zealand each year from smoking or exposure to second hand smoke. On average, long-term smokers die 10 to 15 years earlier because of smoking.

The government has set a long-term goal of making New Zealand smokefree by 2025 and the Ministry of Health has introduced the 'Better help for smokers to quit' health targets to help reach this goal.

The provision of smoking brief advice is a core health target in Pinnacle's quality plan and practices should be aiming to reach these targets each quarter. It is important for primary healthcare professionals to provide the best possible support for people who are wanting to quit smoking.

This is a Taranaki version of this resource and other localities will soon have an edited version for their region. Note the three medication patient information leaflets below are relevant for all localities.