Recent price rises have made smoking less affordable than ever and there is help at hand for those wishing to quit. Photo / 123RF
Data from the Whanganui Regional Health Network indicates a drop in Whanganui's smoking rate over the past three years.
In 2017, 21 per cent of its client base smoked but that was down to 19 per cent in 2020.
The data is drawn from the 13 WRHN general practices and includes an age range of 15 to 74 years. There are 8272 smokers within that group.
Titarakaahu Hika, manager of the Whanganui Quit Clinic in Ingestre St, said the new year is always a busy time at the clinic as people resolve to make positive changes in their lives.
"A 50 gram pouch of tobacco now costs over $100 on average so if you have two smokers in a family household that puts a huge strain on their budget," he said.
"People also want to quit for the sake of their health and especially for their children's health."
The Quit Clinic is part of the WRHN Stop Smoking Service Ngā Taura Tūhono and smokers who wish to quit can self-refer or be referred by their GP, district health board clinical services or the Corrections Department.
"We offer face to face support and nicotine replacement therapies in the form of patches, gum and lozenges," Hika said.
The Ngā Taura Tūhono service also has a wellbeing/whānau practitioner based at Te Oranganui in Campbell St and others based in Marton, Raetihi and Taihape.
Hika said it is difficult to say whether Covid-19 restrictions had beneficial or detrimental effects on people's attempts to quit last year.
"I think it was beneficial for some as they had fewer stresses in their lives during the lockdown and we were able to continue to offer phone support and non-contact deliveries of nicotine replacement products.
"For others, it was more difficult being at home with their families every day and there were a couple of people who relapsed due to pressures such as losing their jobs at that time."
Hika said although the Ngā Taura Tūhono service does not actively promote vaping as a method of quitting smoking, not everyone finds the nicotine replacement products effective.
"Everyone is different and some people find that vaping works for them as a step to quitting. We know that vaping is still a lot safer than smoking."
Vaping and vaping products now face the same rules as smoking and tobacco products.
This means there are now no sales or supply of vaping products to people under the age of 18 and most advertising and sponsorship is banned. Vaping is restricted in indoor workplaces as well as anywhere in or around early childhood centres and schools.
Vaping is now only allowed in open areas of bars, restaurants and casinos, and vapes are subject to import restrictions.
Ngā Taura Tūhono clinical director Dr John McMenamin said although the service would rather see its clients become vape-free as well as smoke-free, it is a viable option for some people.
"We don't know the long term effects of vaping but we do know that it is safer than cigarettes.
"If people are able to give up tobacco in favour of vaping that can be a crucial first step and we can then support them to become vape-free as well."
The Whanganui service can also provide smokers with information about prescription-only quit smoking medications, such as Champix and Zyban, and for many people who are registered with a GP the appointments are free.
In March 2011 the National-led Government adopted the Smokefree 2025 goal for New Zealand. This was in response to the recommendations of a landmark parliamentary inquiry by the Māori Affairs select committee.
The goal was initiated by Dame Tariana Turia who was the Associate Health Minister and Māori Party MP for Te Tai Hauāuru at the time.
Whanganui MP Steph Lewis said while the current government is committed to following through with the aspiration, there would not be the 10 per cent per annum tobacco tax increases there had been over the past decade. Instead, there will be an annual adjustment for inflation.
"I do think there needs to be better tolerance and understanding from non-smokers about how difficult quitting can be," Lewis said.
"We know that too much sugar is bad for us but a lot of people still overindulge.
"During my election campaign, I spoke to a single father who said cigarettes were the one thing that he buys for himself. He was really angry about how expensive they are and I understand that.
"People are dealing with a lot of social and financial pressures so harsh, judgemental attitudes will not help people quit."
Lewis said Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall had recently taken responsibility for Smokefree 2025.
"She will be presenting a plan to Cabinet that will ensure that we have a good chance of getting there.
"The plan will go out for public consultation in the first quarter of the year."
Lewis said during its last term the Government evaluated the impact of tobacco excise increases, banned smoking in cars with children and regulated vaping products in order to reduce smoking harm.
Current Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she believed interventional approaches to smoking cessation may have reached the limits of effectiveness without holistic measures to support them.
"Smoking is an addiction and all addictions have a root cause," Ngarewa-Packer said.
"A co-ordinated, holistic approach that addresses the root causes and the stresses that people are experiencing in their lives will lead to better outcomes.
"I know a lot of whānau have quit smoking because they could no longer afford it but their chances of staying quit would be far better if they had the support to address the root causes of their addiction."
Around 5 per cent of smokers are prescribed stop smoking medications by their GP every quarter and each year a further 5 per cent attend the stop smoking service, many referred from their general practice or hospital services, and others are self-referred "walk-ins".
McMenamin said about half of those attending the Stop Smoking Service chose to make a serious quit attempt and at any time 40 per cent have quit within four weeks.
"That makes Whanganui one of the top-performing services in New Zealand," he said.
"Experience tells us though that some people need a bit more time or different types of support to achieve their goals, and that is why the service established the Kaiwhakatere Oranga programme, walking alongside smokers who are getting ready to quit.
"One example of this programme involved supporting Māori students attending a horticultural training programme, many of whom were smokers. By the end of the year, almost all had quit smoking."
Whanganui Smoking Statistics
The 2018 Census results showed that 17.8 per cent of the Whanganui population were regular smokers compared with 13.2 per cent of the New Zealand population.
Ex-smokers represented 26.8 per cent of the Whanganui population compared to 22 per cent of the New Zealand population.
The WRHN smoking rate for Māori in the Whanganui region is 35.1 per cent, Pacific people 18.5 per cent and other ethnicities 14 per cent.
Other general practices in the Whanganui District Health Board region belong to the National Hauora Coalition and report that there are currently 715 smokers in the 15 to 74 years group accessing their services in the region.
This group is made up of 34 per cent Māori, 2 per cent Pacific and 64 per cent other ethnicities.
Smokers wishing to find support to quit smoking can call 0800 200 249 for the nearest clinic or visit the Whanganui Stop Smoking Service Facebook page.
