Tauranga mum leads smokefree charge to provide better life for children

Evelyn Dickson is giving up smoking while pregnant thanks to a free programme educating families on why the smokefree message is so important.

Tauranga mum Evelyn Dickson will celebrate World Smokefree Day today safe in the knowledge that she is doing the best for her unborn baby.

Dickson, 30, has been a smoker since she was 15 years old and has given up smoking for each of her four pregnancies. But things have changed, for the better.

Dickson has completed the Ūkaipō programme provided by the Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation, which supports hapū māmā (pregnant women) to give up smoking.

As part of the four-day, marae-based programme, Dickson wove a wahakura (traditional Māori flax basket) to provide a safe sleeping space for baby.

Maia, 5, Carly, 8, and Raukura, 9, joined her at the sessions so they could also be involved in the process of giving their baby brother a smokefree start to life.

"I have always stopped smoking while carrying but I never knew how smoking actually affects baby," Dickson said.

"I didn't know that smoke hangs around the baby."

The analogy the programme uses is it is like smoking with your head inside a plastic bag.

It is Dickson's hope that by learning alongside her, her children will not pick up the habit.

"I now know how bad it is, and I don't want that for my tamariki."

People who attend the free programme learn about the effects of first-, second- and third-hand smoking, and sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), to which smoking is a contributing factor.

"They gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to make lasting changes," said primary health organisation promoter Tiana Bennett.

"The programme is taught from a tikanga Māori perspective. Smoking is the norm for many Māori women, it's part of a lifestyle choice. We want to break that norm."

According to Smokefree New Zealand, Māori women have the highest smoking rate in the country at 38 per cent, and are more likely to smoke during pregnancy (37 per cent).

Ūkaipō was launched 18 months ago and has since educated around 30 women about the risks of smoking while pregnant. The seventh programme will be held at Whareroa Marae in June.

Smokefree benefits for pregnant women:
•Heart rate returns to a normal range
•Reduced risk of premature labour and birth
•Reduced risk of a SUDI event
•Having more energy
•Having more money
•Feeling fit

Smokefree benefits for baby:
•Receives more oxygen and nourishment
•Heart rate returns to a normal range
•Reduced risk of unhealthy birth weight
•Reduced risk of stillbirth
•Reduced risk of a SUDI event
•Reduced risk of coughs, colds and other breathing problems

Tips for giving up smoking:
•Make a quit-smoking plan
•Set a quit date to work towards
•Get some support eg Quitline or Hapainga Stop Smoking Service
•Nicotine lozenges, patches and gum can help with withdrawal symptoms and are free from smokefree practitioners
•Friends and family who have already stopped smoking can be a great support
•Take up a new hobby to take your mind off smoking