Being smokefree is still one of the biggest positive changes a person can make for their health. We know for every 40 smokers offered brief advice one person will quit.
Your patient's chances of quitting increase by 20-30 per cent with medicines and kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) support. It’s easy to refer patients who wish to quit, to your free local stop smoking service, and this should always go hand in hand when offering smoking brief advice.
It is important for primary healthcare professionals to provide the best possible support for people who are wanting to quit smoking. We’d like to remind practices that offering smoking brief advice by sending out bulk messaging saves valuable time and money. A simple template could be:
“Kia ora [patient’s first name], we would like to offer help for you to stop smoking, as it’s best for your health. Please reply with a number: 1. Accept, 2. Decline, 3. Already quit. Thanks [Medical Centre]”
Visit the Vensa website for more templates and resources.
With the help of practices, in the past 12 months our Once and For All stop smoking service has supported 1,006 people across Waikato to successfully quit smoking. Seventy per cent of these people identify as Māori and the majority were women between 20-29 years. Of these successful quitters, 83 were hāpu mama – we know the health benefits of quitting smoking during pregnancy for both mother and baby are huge, and this is excellent to see.
Thank you for continuing to refer your Waikato patients. The Once and For All stop smoking service is available to anyone residing in Waikato who smokes and is wanting help to quit.
They can access free kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) behavioural support to stop smoking. Patients can also access free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) from the service. Referrals to this free service can be made using the online form or a MedTech advanced form.
Selena Batt, Regional Support Manager (Screening Services)
selena.batt@pinnacle.health.nz
021 411 245
Waikato people are quitting smoking in higher numbers than just about anywhere else in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the statistics are particularly positive for Māori and pregnant women in the region.
Read moreVarenicline tablets (Champix) to support smoking cessation has been relisted on the pharmaceutical schedule. This medicine has been unavailable since 2021 due to manufacturing impurities which have now been rectified.
Read moreThe once and for all stop smoking service is available to anyone who resides in Waikato who smokes and wants help to quit can access free face to face behavioural support to stop smoking. Patients can access free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) from the service.
View detailsThis 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.