DHB Tops Helping Smokers to Quit Table

30 September, 2013

Bay of Plenty District Health Board Tops Helping Smokers to Quit Table

Helping smokers quit is all in a day’s work for local healthcare staff who have ensured this region leads New Zealand’s DHBs in a national health target.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) is top out of 20 DHBs for giving hospitalised smokers advice and helping them to quit according to the latest quarterly figures.

“You are not only saving lives and keeping people healthy for longer but you are changing society,” said BOPDHB Smokefree Coordinator and Quit Coach Sue Freeman, as she congratulated hospital healthcare teams and administrators.

Government targets for hospitalised smokers receiving advice and help to quit have risen from 80% to 95% between 2009/10 and 2012/13. The latest figures saw the BOPDHB register 99%.

Ms Freeman said such advice had been proven to be effective.

“Most smokers want to quit, 80% report they wished they never started, and there are simple effective interventions that can be routinely provided in both primary and secondary care.

“There is nothing social about smoking today. Tobacco is more addictive than all other drugs. It is highly toxic, it contains 60 cancer causing agents and it kills 5000 New Zealanders every year.

“Second and third-hand smoke (on surfaces) cause illness and disease in non-smokers to the extent that many are hospitalised and 12 people die every week from exposure to tobacco.”

Ms Freeman said she was delighted with the DHB’s performance, which was indicative of a lot of hard work.

“I am most proud of the fact that our ABC OutComes Research project showed 94% of patients said they were treated with respect and, of the 121 patients followed up, 73% could recall the advice and 50% went on to make a quit attempt.”

To find out more about quitting smoking email smokefree@bopdhb.govt.nz; or call Aukati KaiPaipa Quit Coaches on 07 5730660 (Western Bay of Plenty) or 07 3060096 (Eastern Bay of Plenty).

ENDS

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