Making the decision to commit is the first step in quitting smoking, but having full health support during the quit journey is the real key to success.
And having that support come to you when you need it is even better.
For Turanga Health in Gisborne, its all part of the service they provide to smokers who are ready to quit.
“We are not a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 service,” says service delivery manager Dwayne Tamatea. “This morning our guys were out at a workplace at 4am to do a group session with shift workers. We work around their needs, not ours.”
These support people are called Quit Coaches, and they’re an important part of the stop-smoking service in Gisborne and throughout the Tairāwhiti region.
The programme, dubbed ‘Once and For All’, offers a brand new way of quitting by focusing on offering intensive behavioural support for smokers. It’s available for free in Gisborne and Tairāwhiti and is internationally-proven to work.
Turanga Health takes a two-pronged approach to help people quit smoking. They lead group sessions in workplaces, mostly targeting large employers such as primary industries, and one-on-one sessions, often in peoples’ homes.
It’s in the homes that the wraparound care Turanga Health provides becomes evident.
“When we go into homes, we might notice another whānau member has health needs that need addressing. They might have a child who doesn’t have a Well Child provider or they’re in a home that doesn’t have insulation and have respiratory issues, and we can make sure that’s taken care of for them,” says Tamatea.
He says it’s this holistic approach that his service users like.
“We got lots of self-referrals and heaps of people telling their friends they’ve quit smoking and encouraging them to get in touch with us. It’s not just the smoking help they get from us, but all the extras like nutrition and healthy lifestyle programmes, and someone to notice when their whānau might need a bit of care too.”
Turanga Health is a member of Pinnacle Midlands Health, one of the largest primary health organisations in New Zealand.
Pinnacle’s General Manager Practice and Network Services Andrew Swanson-Dobbs says it’s the individual and group support that sets Once and For All apart from other quit-smoking programmes.
“We have a group of health professionals who have been trained up as Quit Coaches and are keen to see Aotearoa’s days of smoking behind us.
“These Quit Coaches already have a background in the health industry – many of them are doctors and nurses so they know what they’re talking about when they say that quitting smoking has positive effects from day one.
“But they also have empathy and connect with smokers on a personal level. Many of them know what it’s like to quit – so they’re coming from a place of experience but also respect for the smoker and the journey they’re on.”
There are about 7000 smokers in Tairāwhiti. Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease and cancer and is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand.
“In some cases we would also recommend nicotine replacement medication in conjunction with behavioural therapy and support,” says Swanson-Dobbs. “A combination of medication and behavioural support has a quit rate of up to 74%, whereas medication on its own can be as low as 9%.
The Ministry of Health has set a target of a smokefree New Zealand by 2025.
“Of course we want to help achieve that target, but we want our communities to be healthy and our families and whanau to lead active, fulfilling, smoke-free lives. That’s our motivation.”
Smokers can sign up to the Once and For All programme online, through their GP or community health provider or by phone. Once enrolled in the programme they pick a target quit date and are supported through their journey with a Quit Coach, and can take part in group or individual support sessions in their home, workplace or in-clinic. Smokers who quit successfully will receive a gift voucher to the value of $50.
Once and For All also offers tailored support for pregnant women trying to quit smoking. To sign up, visit onceandforall.co.nz or phone 0800 6623 4522.
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