West Coast service ready to make New Year’s Resolutions come true
Press release, Oranga Ha - Tai Poutini, 27 December 2017

With tobacco prices set to rise by 10 per cent in January, there’s never been a better time for West Coasters to make quitting their number one New Year’s resolution.

Oranga Ha - Tai Poutini provides intensive and personalised smokefree support to people on the West Coast who want to stop smoking.

2013 Census data shows 4,794 people on the West Coast aged 15-years and over smoke regularly (20.5 percent) compared to 15.1 percent nationally.

Research indicates that at least eight out of every 10 people who smoke regret starting, and six in every 10 have tried quitting in the last five years.
“There’s hundreds of people on the Coast who want to save money and improve their health by quitting for good. At New Year’s there’s always an additional peak in the numbers who want to quit and we’re here to help them achieve their goal,” says Gail McLauchlan.

Mrs McLauchlan says stopping smoking is great for your health and your wallet.

“For a 20-a-day smoker, quitting could save you and your family an extra $175 a week. That’s a tank of petrol or a chunk of your weekly grocery bill.”

Oranga Ha - Tai Poutini is a free service that is tailored to what works best for the individual.

“The first thing we do with our clients is meet with them face-to-face and discuss a personalised programme along with setting a quit date to support them to become smokefree. Once we’ve got a quit date we work intensively with them to help them achieve their goal and stay smokefree.

“We know giving up smoking can be hard but there’s clear evidence that having the right support makes you much more likely to be successful,” says Mrs McLauchlan.

As well as customised face-to-face support, clients can access free Nicotine Replacement Therapy patches, gum and lozenges.

Everyone who signs up to start their smokefree journey by the end of January, and who is smokefree for one month, will go into the draw to win one of three $100 New World vouchers.

To start your smokefree journey with Oranga Ha - Tai Poutini go to www.StopSmokingWestCoast.org.nz or phone 0800 456121.

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