Smokefree
We can help you to stop smoking
Stopping smoking isn’t easy. But it is possible – especially with the help of a doctor, nurse, or other health professional.
- Your local general practice / family doctor can help you to stop smoking by:
- prescribing medicines that have been shown to be effective in helping people stop smoking for good
- providing NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy), such as patches, gum, or lozenges, which reduce the effects of nicotine cravings while you quit smoking
- supporting you to set a definite quit date, and thinking through the strategies you can use every day to continue to remain smokefree.
- supporting and funding free smoking cessation within General Practice
- providing bulk NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) for practices to use with their clients
- promoting National Smokefree events like Stoptober and World Smokefree Day (WSFD)
- providing resources and promotional material to all GP clinics
- providing information to practice staff about smoking cessation training.
Help to stop smoking is usually a free service provided by General Practices – contact your practice today to find out more.
In addition to your General Practice, the following services can help you stop smoking:
Toki Rau – Stop Smoking Services Tai Tokerau
Toki Rau provides a FREE Northland wide stop smoking service offering face-to-face support, which can be provided in an individual, whānau/family, or group setting. Toki Rau has eight sites across Tai Tokerau.
Toki Rau can provide NRT and dedicated smoking support for Māori and Pacific people. For more information, call 0508 8654 728 (0508 TOKI RAU) or visit www.tokirau.co.nz.
Quitline / Me Mutu
Quitline provides help to quit, support for staying quit, and information about helping others to quit. Call 0800 778 778 or visit www.quit.org.nz.
Smokefree / Auahi kore
The Smokefree website has information about smoking and its effects, help and advice for stopping, and resources, such as the Cost of Smoking Calculator.
Information for General Practice
Tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Aotearoa New Zealand, accounting for around 5000 deaths every year.
Smoking is an especially important issue for Northland: overall, 19% of Northland-based patients smoke, compared with only 15% for the national average.
Smoking also has an important equity aspect: 34% of Māori in Northland smoke, compared to 16% for non-Māori – a smoking rate which is more than double.
Smoking in Northland is related to 25% of all deaths. Again, there is a striking equity aspect: smoking is related to 18% of all non-Māori deaths, but 47% of all Māori deaths.
Everyone involved in primary care and general practices – from doctors and nurses to healthcare assistants, practice managers, and reception staff – have a role to play in reducing the impacts of tobacco on our patients.
- Manaia PHO supports General Practice in many ways: