The Quit Group welcomes funding anti-smoking aid

The Quit Group welcomes funding of smoking cessation aid

New Zealand’s national smoking cessation support organisation, The Quit Group has welcomed today’s announcement that Champix® will be fully funded from 1 November 2010.

“The fact that Champix will be available at an affordable price to those who have tried and failed to quit using NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) on two different occasions will help increase the number of people successfully quitting smoking,” said Quit Group Medical Advisor, Dr. Peter Martin.

Chief Executive of The Quit Group, Paula Snowden said, “Clients who call our Quitline often ask about other smoking cessation treatments such as Champix and it is great that another option is now available to them. While products like Champix tackle the chemical part of the addiction, it is important to remember that the emotional and habitual aspects also need to be addressed. It takes an average of six attempts to break the habit for good. Quitline Advisors can help those trying to quit develop strategies to beat these other two parts of the addiction, helping them to quit and stay quit.”

Research carried out by The Quit Group shows that a smoker is five times more likely to quit with support than without and twice as likely to quit with nicotine replacement therapies than those who go cold turkey.

Champix (varenicline tartrate) is a prescription-only treatment for smoking cessation in adults. From 1 November 2010 it will be fully funded via PHARMAC (New Zealand Pharmaceutical Management Agency) through a special authority application from a general practitioner.

ENDS

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