Having suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for years, I always used to think smoking helped to relieve some of the constant tension and anxiety I was living with. I was wrong.

I started smoking at the age of 10. I had a horrible childhood and I think smoking helped at the time to give me a bit of an outlet.

Of course, I quickly became addicted. I started stealing cigarettes from anyone who would go outside and, for years and years, as long as I can remember, I would smoke a 30-gram a week and two packets of 25 taillies. I was a very heavy smoker.

I have children and I found smoking always acted as a stress reliever. If the kids were being too much, I would go outside and light a ciggie. It just became something I always did.

I smoked so much that one day my husband brought me home a pack of 20 at 6pm, and by 7am the following morning, it was gone. I would smoke one after the other. I was spending over $200 a week on cigarettes. I don’t even know how I managed it.

Over the years, I tried quitting several times, but every time I tried, I would have intense mood swings and I was just a nasty person. All I would think about is cigarettes.

One day I was visiting my social worker and she mentioned she had stopped smoking with the support of the Southern Stop Smoking Service, so I thought I’d give it another go.

I met Alison (Central Otago Stop Smoking Coach) and instantly felt like I could do it. I knew she would support me. I failed the first time but she never put me down, instead she supported me through and continued to build me up. I failed again. Alison suggested we try a different way and talked through other strategies that could help me.

One weekend, I went to Dunedin with friends who don’t smoke and they had an itinerary which kept me busy the entire time. There was no time for a cigarette. I accidently left my smokes behind in Dunedin and couldn’t afford to buy more when I got home and then I got sick. I quickly realised I hadn’t had a cigarette in two weeks. I hadn’t used any nicotine replacement therapy products.

That was 16 October last year and I haven’t had one since. I really didn’t think I could do it, but I did!

It’s a whole new me. My entire mood towards life has changed and I feel so much better. I have energy, I can walk without getting puffed, I have all these new smells I’d never smelt, and I have less anxiety.

I’ve lost about 5kg and I’m out doing more because I have more energy. I even walk my children to and from school and kindergarten every day.

Just before Christmas, Alison came to see me. She handed me an envelope with $120 worth of vouchers inside. I had almost completed the SmokeFree Families Incentive programme. The timing was brilliant because I had been struggling to buy Christmas presents for my children because my husband was out of work due to COVID. I was presented with another $60 voucher at the end of January. 

I’m so pleased to have stopped smoking. All the extra money I’m saving from not smoking has helped our family to become debt free again. I don’t miss smoking at all and I am never looking back.

I couldn’t have done it without Alison and her support. Thank you to the Southern Stop Smoking Service for turning my life around!

Walking around with painkillers in my pocket because of constant headaches is a thing of the past for me since I’ve stopped smoking.

I started smoking when I was about 15, mainly because of peer pressure. Everyone else was doing it and even though I didn’t enjoy it in the beginning, I did it anyway.

I smoked mostly on weekends and a couple during the week but eventually it progressed to 20-30 rollies a day.

I’ve tried to stop before. I stopped for eight months once, and then again for two months. Each time, I’d make the mistake of thinking I could have just one. I could never get away with that!

It started to affect my fitness and my motivation. If I ran 10 metres, I would be completely out of breath. I’ve been wheezy for the past three or four years, and I have suffered from daily headaches.

Recently I decided I wanted to stop smoking for good. I needed to for my personal health and my family. I have young children and that was probably my biggest motivator to stop.

I went to my GP and the nurse referred me to the Southern Stop Smoking Service. It was hard to go to the first meeting. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was nervous but the coach was great and I was put at ease straight away. You’re not there to be lectured, they’re just there to help and offer support. I found the phone calls and the support helpful. It was important to know someone was there and that I could ring her any time.

I used nicotine patches and gum and I found it helpful that the coach explained how to properly use them. I had used them both before and I’d just stick on a patch and expect to get a result and chew the gum and get rid of it. I didn’t realise each product had specific ways it needed to be used to be effective.

I’ve been smoke free almost two months now. I really don’t miss smoking and I don’t really even think about it. I can’t believe how bad it smells!

The benefits of stopping for me have been massive. I don’t get headaches anymore, the wheezing is gone and I can run around with my kids so much easier. The money I was spending (about $140-$200 a week) is sitting in my bank account and keeps rolling over to the next week, which is amazing!

I’m so pleased to be smoke free and I’m looking forward to never touching a cigarette again.

​Gore couple Karen and Cory Brown, who smoked around 60 cigarettes between them a day, are smoke free!

​Cory’s story
I had been smoking for more than 30 years – I started when I was 14. It was just the normal thing to do back then, everyone smoked.
I smoked tailies, and then rollies and I think I continued out of habit. It was just a part of my lifestyle. I would smoke about 30 cigarettes a day. I was a chain smoker. I’d squeeze two cigarettes into my morning smoko and then eat my lunch as quickly as possible so I could get at least four cigarettes in.

I’d tried to stop a number of times in the past. I’ve tried cold turkey, pills, hypnosis. Nothing worked.

But my health started to decline and I developed COPD. I was struggling with lung infections nearly monthly. I was waking up coughing every morning and night and I had run out of sick days at work. My doctor told me if I didn’t stop smoking it would only continue to get worse and he asked if I wanted some help and referred me to the Southern Stop Smoking Service, who had a coach running a clinic at the Hokonui Runanga every second Thursday.

I came to see the coach and brought my partner along for support. The coach talked to us about the various stop smoking tools available to us and together we decided on a plan that included a script of champix through my doctor.

Soon after I starting my stop smoking journey, I had cut down my smoking by half. It was then that I realised how much of a hold nicotine had over me. I couldn’t believe it, you don’t realise it until you stop. I have a vape as well because I knew I would need something to do with my hands.

I’m so pleased to have stopped. I can’t believe how easy it was after smoking for so many years. I haven’t coughed in weeks and I’m saving tons of money. I sometimes see people standing outside in the cold having a smoke and I feel sorry for them now! That used to be me. Food tastes different now - Some foods I disliked, I like now!

I’m so pleased we came to see the stop smoking coach. She helped us with a range of things we hadn’t even thought of, such as why we had a metallic taste in our mouths. It’s been wonderful having her support and meeting with her every couple of weeks for ongoing support and motivation.

Karen’s story

I only came to the clinic to support my partner Cory. I wasn’t interested in stopping smoking. I started when I was 12. I suffered a traumatic experience while I was at a boarding school, which led me to smoke and I never stopped. I was also smoking about 30 a day.
When Cory told me he was going to see a stop smoking coach, I wanted to come to support him but I didn’t feel I was ready to stop at that time. I couldn’t even look at the coach. But after leaving that day I felt motivated to look at my own smoking. I also thought what’s the point in me still smoking when he’s suffering from lung problems?

So, I stopped. I did it for Cory. I used patches and lozenges and I ended up stopping smoking even before he did. When we came back to the clinic two weeks later, the coach couldn’t believe it. I’m really proud of myself, and my kids are proud of me too. I have asthma and I’m finding it much easier to breathe now. I can’t believe we did it. This was just the right timing for us. Now, we can be around people smoking and it doesn’t even worry us.

Stop Smoking Coach Jo Te Tai said, “The most amazing thing is the time frame around how all of this happened. The pair used the CO machine the first day and it was one of the biggest readings I had seen in a long time. Karen didn’t want to know and that was fine. She wouldn’t even look at me. She was just there to support Cory. So when they came back the next fortnight, I could see a difference in Karen. She was ok to look at me now and talk, and I thought what’s been happening? Cory told me they had both done it, they were both smoke free. I couldn’t believe it. We used the CO machine again and both were a 1, which is massive. I’m just blown away by Cory and Karen.”

Here at the Southern Stop Smoking Service, our mobile coaches travel all across their regions to assist whanau in changing their smoking. Check out this story from our Lakes District coach Debbie Swain-Rewi, who travels to the beautiful town of Glenorchy every week!

Once a week I am extremely lucky to travel to Glenorchy and provide smoking cessation services and support to this community, which is a small settlement at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, 45km from Queenstown.

There are two pubs, a café, a small primary school and a range of small shops in the town catering mainly to tourists. Glenorchy has a small resident population of about 400 – many are long-term, generational farming families, others young families looking for cheaper housing options, and other travellers staying for a few months to work in the tourism sector. There used to be a lot of people who smoked. In the last few months of 2019 Sue, Kelly and Geoff, Doc, Monique and Pete have all quit, and remained smoke free. This has been a huge achievement for them individually, and collectively, and as Pete calculated, has probably saved them about $50,000 a year.

I have worked in the Glenorchy community for about eight years and I know that sometimes getting folks back is not always going to happen. They are busy, used to being isolated and self-resilient.

So I need to give as much information and product when I have them with me. Learning results is often many months later which is a little frustrating, and not so good for stats, but, quitting smoking is their journey, not mine (mine was 22 years ago), and once quit, the journey for them is over, and so coming back to the clinic not necessary – I get that.

In late 2019 a few long-term residents approached me to help them quit smoking. Sue Roney had smoked for 40+ years and really only came because her husband Stan had come in and asked about the stop smoking service. Sue’s journey was a long one, she ‘liked’ smoking cigarettes and used then as a reward. When I first met Sue and discussed being smoke free she blew 16 on my smokerlyser. Although she managed to cut down from her 10-15 a day habit quickly, using patches, she struggled with afternoons, and could not quit the final couple between lunch and dinner – which were her ‘quiet ones’ while she was getting Stan’s dinner and relaxing after her day cleaning Air B n B’s.

Sue tried everything from altering her patterns of how and when she did things, to not allowing herself to sit in her favourite ‘smoking’ spot. Sue increased her patches, used more lozenges and nothing seemed to work. This went on for months – Maria our former service manager had come through on a regular trip and had given more advice and suggestions. It was frustrating for Sue, she’d done so well, but couldn’t get over this last hurdle to become smokefree. Then Sue stopped coming to the clinic, I’d message to remind her I’d be there on Wednesday, no reply. I thought Sue must have just given up on her final goal of being smoke free. Then, out of the blue, Sue arrived at the clinic, she wanted some more lozenges – she had been totally smoke free for several weeks, and she blew a 0. Sue still uses lozenges if she has a craving, but she remains smoke free.

Another was “Doc” Richard who had been smoking up to 40 cigarettes a day for 25+ years. Lesley, Doc’s wife, had come into the clinic and asked me about the service and I had talked her through the programme, and had given her products for an unsuspecting Doc to try. About a month later I met Doc. He arrived at the clinic wanting to know how to ‘use this stuff properly’, so I sat with him and explained about his nicotine addiction, about his cravings and the effects of smoking on his health, and how to use the patches and gum effectively. He left the clinic after blowing over 30 on my smokerlyser well stocked, more informed, but not totally convinced. As with many of my clients in Glenorchy, I didn’t see Doc again. Doc isn’t always working in the township so I know that could make things difficult, but I suspected quitting smoking had been a good idea but not successful.          
 
A few months later, quite unexpectedly, I got a phone call from Lesley, Doc’s wife, when I was away from town. Could someone please call in and get some gum for Doc? Sure, I said, puzzled, and asked if he was attempting to quit again – He was, and he HAD. He was 6 weeks smoke free and doing very well!! I was blown away. A few weeks later Doc came in to see me, he looked GREAT, and was extremely proud of himself, and knew how proud Lesley and their two daughters were of him.

Kelly, a ‘quiet’’ smoker, came to see me. She had a bit going on in her life, and had a few concerns about her husband’s health, also a cigarette smoker. These two were interesting – Kelly was an afternoon smoker (unless she was having a few drinks) while Geoff smoked in the evenings. I talked to Kelly about both their smoking habits and patterns, and sent her away with product and suggestions for both of them. The following week Kelly had been smoke free since she’d seen me and was extremely pleased with herself. But Geoff wasn’t on board. Kelly became a weekly visitor at the clinic for several weeks. She had a couple of ‘slip ups’, usually when drinking, but would get straight back on track. We would talk about her journey, and she would wish Geoff would get on board. Just before we went into COVID lockdown, Kelly came in to see me, she was wanting some gum ‘just in case’ for the lockdown period – her news: Geoff had QUIT!! She was thrilled.

Monica, a ‘social’ smoker, and friend of Doc’s wife Lesley came in for help to completely kick the habit. She and Lesley were off to run the New York marathon and even ‘social’ smoking didn’t really fit with running marathons.

Pete who owns a construction business, a long-term local, and long-term smoker, called in to see me for some NRT. He was smoking about a packet a day, but only blew about 10 on the smokrlyser. We talked about behaviours, habits and some strategies to help quit. Pete left with a good supply of products and suggestions on how to use them successfully. Pete has never come back to see me, but I have heard through the community, and from his mates who have quit, that he has been successfully smoke free since before Christmas.

There were several others in the community who have enrolled and never returned. I know not all these folk have quit, but unbeknown to them they have actually started their journey - they will come back, they will have another quit attempt. Most people aren’t successful on their first attempt, but that’s the start, and when they want some more encouragement to try again I’ll be happy to support again, when and how they want.          

I love working in this community, and proud of those that have QUIT in the last year. They have inspired and supported each other, and there will be others in the community watching their success and be inspired to call into my clinic one Wednesday. I’ll be there for them.

​Lounging on deck chairs in the sun-swamped front yard of their townhouse at the Golden View Lifestyle Village, Leone and Geoff Bishop reminisce about having spent 60 or more years of their lives smoking, and how proud they are to now be smoke free with the support of the Southern Stop Smoking Service.  

The couple, originally from Waitaki Valley, moved to Cromwell to retire after a life of merino sheep farming – Leone says Geoff was the most superior wool grower in New Zealand and it wasn’t uncommon to watch him shear a sheep while walking up a hill and all with a cigarette in his mouth.

Leone started smoking at 16-years-old because her sister-in-law was a nurse and smoking. “I thought if she was smoking why couldn’t I?” Leone’s habit progressed to 25 tailor-made cigarettes per day in what would become a 63-year habit.

Geoff says he started pinching his father’s smokes in his early teens. His habit progressed to a 50gram a day, a habit he maintained for years – around 60 he estimated. “I always had a smoke hanging out my mouth.”

Both had tried to stop smoking in the past, Geoff once for three years and Leone once for three months, but they loved the habit too much and found it extremely difficult to stop for good.

Between them, they would spend $400 a fortnight on cigarettes and not even think twice, they said.

Recently, Geoff visited his GP who told him it was time to think about stopping smoking due to a rattle in his chest and referred him to the Southern Stop Smoking Service. Alison Milne visited the pair, where Leone made it clear she too wanted to stop.

The pair found it easier to stop smoking this time around especially with the support of Alison. Stopping together was also helpful, they said, adding that their last cigarette was shared together on the morning of June 2nd.

They were both surprised at how easy it was to stop, although admitted it was tough in the beginning. They each used patches, gum and lozenges.

Neither miss the habit and said they have more energy, food tastes different, and the rattle in Geoff’s chest is gone.

Having been so proud of her effort to stop smoking, Leone discussed it while getting her hair tended to by the rest home hairdresser Bev Quayle. The hairdresser was intrigued and asked how she did it, which leads us to our next inspirational story … 

I started smoking when I was 14 – it was the cool thing to do back in the 70’s.

It was sexy - there were coloured ones and pretty cigarettes and everyone was smoking. The health risks weren’t really known at that stage and I just continued smoking out of habit, but that habit soon increased and before I realised, it had become my best friend. It was my comfort.

I continued to smoke for the next 44 years – except on a Sunday. I never smoked on a Sunday.

I stopped once about 20 years ago for 18 months but getting caught out in a snow storm and staying in a house with several people drew me back into it. Then I just started where I left off and it was like having my best mate back.

I was so angry at myself for starting again. I’d let myself down and I was feeling a bit depressed about the amount of weight I had piled on when I hadn’t been smoking.

That’s actually why I was nervous to stop smoking. Putting on the weight again worried me, but it turns out It can be done and in fact I’ve even lost weight! It’s all a mind-set thing.

I’d been thinking about stopping for a while, it was becoming so expensive, but it wasn’t until one of my clients at the Golden View Lifestyle Village rest home said she was stopping and I thought ‘well if she can, I can!’ Next thing I knew Alison was arranging a meeting with me and I would visit her at Junction Health in Cromwell. On the 23rd of June I had my last cigarette.

I’d tried the patches but they gave me bad dreams so I ended up stopping without any NRT. I haven’t even had one cigarette since. I would be so angry with myself if I did!

I don’t miss smoking at all and in fact I found it quite easy to stop. Alison was a huge support and I looked forward to her visits. I’m excited about the amount of money I have saved to far ($600) because by the time my son gets married on the Gold Coast next year, I will have tons saved!

I’m so pleased to be smoke free and I’m excited about the future.

​*This client wishes to remain anonymous

The possibility of not receiving the hip surgery I so desperately need was the motivation I needed to kick my habit of over 50 years.

I started smoking when I was 16. Like most people say, smoking was normal then – my father smoked, my five siblings smoked. I’m proud to say we have all given up now!

Back then, I really thought I could drop it any time I liked. Life went on and I continued smoking because I enjoyed it. They were really cheap then too. We all had jobs so money wasn’t really an issue.

I’ve smoked my entire life. It became ingrained into my lifestyle before I’d even realised it had happened. I smoked tailor-made cigarettes for years but when they started to become more expensive I switched to roll-your-owns.

I tried to stop smoking on numerous occasions but it turned out I couldn’t stop as easy as I thought I could. Nothing ever worked – I even tried hypnosis. The longest I stopped was probably a couple of weeks.

My motivation came when I was told last year that I couldn’t get hip surgery until I stopped smoking. I’m in desperate need of a hip replacement! One of the nurses at my medical practice put me in touch with the Southern Stop Smoking Service and I was put in touch with the Otago coach, who started visiting me at home.

The coach was helpful and encouraged and motivated me. She was positive, which in turn helped me to remain positive.

As it turns out I was allergic to the patches, so instead of using NRT, I opted for vaping. I had already cut down to only about 5 cigarettes a day by that point so I found the switch quite easy. Now I’m looking forward to coming off the vape.

I have had one or two cigarettes since I stopped smoking 7 months ago, but it turns out I don’t actually like smoking now.

I am now looking forward to my hip surgery, which I have now been told will happen in the very near future.