Quitline wards off desperate smokers

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

Thousands of smokers who want Government-subsidised nicotine patches and gum are being turned away by the overloaded Quitline.

The telephone service started offering heavy and moderate smokers the subsidised nicotine-replacement therapy on November 1, but was immediately swamped by the heavy demand.

About 10,000 calls a month were expected, said Quitline national manager Jane Mills, but about 40,000 people had called already this month, although not all had asked for patches or gum.

Some 6000 subsidy cards, exchanged for the therapy at pharmacies, had been sent to smokers and a further 4000 callers had been put on a waiting list to be rung back by an assessor.

Many others had been asked to ring back in four weeks as there were not enough staff to perform the required telephone assessments.

Ms Mills agreed the wait might mean lost quitting opportunities.

"It's very frustrating from our end that we are not able to deal with everyone.

"It's wonderful that all these people want to quit smoking and we would like to be reaching them sooner than we are."

Quitline employs 23 quit-smoking advisers now, compared with 15 before the subsidy programme started. A further 17 are being hired to cope with the unexpected demand.

The Government has put aside $6.18 million a year for the subsidy programme for at least the next four years.

It expects that up to 40 per cent of New Zealand's estimated 750,000 smokers will be interested in the therapy.

Health Minister Annette King said no one could have predicted the demand. People had to be patient.

A 65-year-old Waiheke Island smoker said yesterday that he was ready to quit but was told by Quitline to ring back in three or four weeks.

The pensioner, with a 50-year habit, said: "This is more hassle than it's worth. I'll just keep on smoking."

The patches and gum, worth about $125 for a one-month course, cost the smokers $10.