An Alexandra couple in their early 80s who had each been smoking for a “lifetime” have each kicked the habit and say it was easier than they thought it would be!

Both had tried to stop smoking in the past but were unsuccessful, and recalled an occasion where one of them was caught smoking in the garden, so the other decided they would too!

“You’ve got to do it together, or it’s not going to work.”

Through a GP referral, both were enrolled in the Southern Stop Smoking Service.

Groceries were, on average, costing them about $160 per week, and $60 of that would be spent on cigarettes. “I realized I could be doing better things with my money.”

Stopping smoking this time was a lot easier than they thought and the spare money is now going towards eating better.

“The motivation from Alison makes it easier. It’s much easier than doing it on your own.”  ​

A client who visited Nga Kete 15 years ago says she would still be smoking today if it hadn’t been for the Stop Smoking Service.
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My name is Natasha, I’m from Invercargill and I started smoking when I was 14.

I couldn’t stand the smell and had always said I’d never smoke, but my brothers would give them to me and back then, it was pretty cheap.

I started smoking about a 10-pack of tailor-mades a week, but it quickly progressed to 20, and then roll-your-owns because it was cheaper (which meant I smoked more!) and by the age of 15 I was completely addicted.

I smoked for a number of years although I never actually enjoyed it. With all three of my pregnancies I tried my best to stop but I was never successful, only managing to cut down to three or so a day – for me, that was really good!

Each time I tried to stop I struggled to do it alone. My ex-husband and I lived in the country and I felt I had no one to talk to considering he was still smoking.

The cost of smoking continued to increase (we were spending about $30 a week) and with a young family I decided enough was enough. One day I found a brochure somewhere for Nga Kete, who were offering stop smoking services so I took the plunge and gave them a call.

That was 15 years ago, and I’ve never looked back.

I was put in touch with Teina Wilmshurst, who is still part of the stop smoking service at Nga Kete today! Teina would visit me at home and supply me with nicotine replacement therapy. I was allergic to the patches and didn’t like the lozenges so I used the gum, which worked for me.

I had finally stopped smoking and I was so excited!
 
It was really important for me to have that support from Teina. If it hadn’t been for Nga Kete I never would have stopped. I’m sure I would have caved in. Having someone to talk to was so important.

Since then, I’ve had the odd smoke socially but I don’t enjoy it, and to be honest I wouldn’t be able to smoke now with the price of it anyway!

The money I saved from stopping went towards my groceries and children, and I just loved that I could run around with them and not huff and puff.

Now, my son and daughter-in-law, who are both 18, have recently enrolled with the Stop Smoking Service and they’re both doing really well. My father is also enrolled and is 13 weeks smoke free!

​Waste Management made the decision to become completely smoke free at its national work sites, which includes three Otago region sites at Dunedin, Green Island and Oamaru.

In order to support its teams, Waste Management engaged the Southern Stop Smoking Service and supplied the space and time for their interested team members to attend meetings within work time. Rather than a group setting at Waste Management, coaches Jade Fraser and Liz Cadogan (North Otago) arranged to meet with the clients individually due to work shifts.

Waste Management Regional Manager Greg Nel said the company was committed to the health and well being of its employees, and has also extended support to team member’s families offering the space for them to also seek stop smoking support.

Waste Management Dunedin Compliance Coordinator Trudy Hutchison said she has been impressed by the commitment, reliability and the ease of engaging the Southern Stop Smoking Service.

Waste Management is a large company with more than 1,700 team members nationally and 52 in the Otago region at its Oamaru, Dunedin and Green Island sites. 15 of the Otago team smoke and seven have engaged with the Southern Stop Smoking Service.

Check out these fabulous staff member's stories!

Shane Welsh (Oamaru, Transfer Station Operator)
I started smoking about seven and a half years ago because all of my friends smoked. I was smoking up to 25 cigarettes a day and spending about $165 per week! 
I'd attempted to stop smoking before but I had no support. I was made aware that my workplace were offering stop smoking support and I knew it was working for my co-worker Alysha. It turns out it was good for me too! I started seeing Liz Cadogan and received some NRT, but I ended up going cold turkey. It's been just over one month now and I'm feeling much better and I'm enjoying the extra money. 
Being offered the support by my employer was great as it was nice to know someone else was caring for my health, and especially offering it in work time. I'm also enjoying the support of my co-worker Alysha who is going through the same programme, and the support of Greg Nel who has been checking in on me regularly.

Alysha Ryan (Oamaru, Weighbridge Attendant)
If I feel like smoking, I weed the garden or go for a walk instead!
My name is Alysha Ryan and I have been smoke free for six weeks. I'd been smoking for about 13 years but had recently started cutting down slowly on my own. I'd never been a heavy smoker - I only had about 6 per day.
So, when the opportunity of support from my workplace and the Southern Stop Smoking Service come up, I begged Trudy to let me attend. The support was fantastic and it was so great to not have to do it alone. The coach gave me patches and showed me how to use them. 
It was great to know my employers supported me and great to have the opportunity to go in work hours.
I'm saving about $50 a fortnight and with that money I am buying shoes! 

Frederick Garrick (Dunedin, Green Island Landfill Supervisor)  
I started smoking about 15 years ago when it was "cool" and I got hooked pretty quick. I was smoking about a 30gram per week and really enjoying the habit. That was until I started suffering from some health issues. 
I'd wanted to stop smoking before, I even stopped for two and a half years once but a traumatic experience led me back to it. 
I decided to switch cigarettes for vaping. I've been vaping for about two and a half years now and have been cutting down the nicotine content. Now, I need help to cut the nicotine completely as I know it could cause problems in the future.
It has been a good, cost effective alternative for me, although I do intend to stop vaping eventually. When Jade came to one of our toolbox meetings it was the right opportunity at the right time. The service offered is quite different to a lot of other operators. I feel that with the help of The Southern Stop Smoking Service I can achieve my goals  and I feel supported in my journey by both them and Waste Management.

Chris Macilquham (Dunedin, Driver)
I've been smoking for about eight years, but I would really like to stop.
I have recently started cutting down and have halved the amount I'd been smoking. I heard about the Southern Stop Smoking Service at my workplace and I thought it was a great opportunity! It came at a really good time as I wanted to stop anyway. It's great having the face-to-face contact with the coach. I look forward to being smoke free soon! 

A group of Port Otago staff members have joined together in their quest to become smoke free.

The group of five men come together through a weekly support network set up by the Southern Stop Smoking Service and aided by Port Otago, which have provided the time, place and support for their staff.

Otago Stop Smoking Coach Jade Fraser said the major benefit for the men was that their employer allowed time for them to attend. Being shift workers, they do not know when they will be working week-to-week. Therefore, booking time to see a stop smoking coach would have been too difficult. 

Port Otago People & Capability Advisor Christina Fricker said Port Otago set a Principle Goal which was to provide a healthy smoke-free workplace environment, support smoking cessation, and promote an organisational culture that normalises a smoke-free environment and encourages/supports staff who smoke, to become smoke-free by 30th June 2018. 

A smoke free policy was created to minimise workers exposure to the passive inhalation of harmful cigarette smoke and to reduce the dangers of smoking related fires, she said.  

Port Otago management also offered staff to attend a paid visit to their GP for advice and/or prescriptions and also extended support to employee's immediate family members.
 
"Port Otago celebrates the success of our workers, and to celebrate their journey to becoming smoke free, staff who attended the smoke free clinic will be given tickets to the rugby, including dinner, for them and their partners," Christina said.
 
Smoke free support will continue to be ongoing at Port Otago.
 
Check out some of their stories below!
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Garry
Garry has been smoke free for four weeks and is enjoying spending more time with his family! Garry says his children would hassle him about smoking but he'd always brush it off until recently when he started thinking about his children growing up and being there for them. He decided he wanted to be healthier!  
Max
Max, who has been smoking for 54 years, was spending $175 per week on cigarettes and adding this back into his weekly income has been great. "It's like filling the truck up every week for free." Everything smells and tastes better, he says. Max has been smoke free for five weeks. 
Jeff
Jeff has been smoking for about 30 years and spending $155 per week. Seeing the yearly figure motivated Jeff to stop smoking, and the desire to watch his young girls grow up. Since stopping three weeks ago Jeff says he's able to enjoy playing with his children longer. 
Des
Des started smoking at the age of 10 and says, while he's determined, he has struggled to remain smoke free. He is enjoying having spare money on pay day and it is allowing him to live a better lifestyle, he says. Des has been smoke free for five days.  ​

​​I knew I needed to stop smoking when I fell pregnant, but I didn’t have the support I needed.

My name is Holly Kenny and I had been smoking for about two years and had never tried to stop. I was smoking about 7 or 8 cigarettes a day and spending about $60 per week.

I heard about the Southern Stop Smoking Service through a pregnant mother's group I am involved with, and decided to join along with five or six others. It was great! I finally felt I had the support that I’d been looking for. 

I haven't had a cigarette now in almost three months, and I don't think I would have stopped smoking if it hadn't been for the group!

I found it very beneficial being in a group as all of the women supported each other, and a great incentive was receiving the $20 gift vouchers from the Stop Smoking Service throughout. I'm enjoying saving the money I was spending on cigarettes, to be used in case I need something for my baby!