Welcome to the March 2006 QuitChat
In this issue:
New Quit campaign targets Pacific smokers
 |
| Almost a third of Pacific peoples living in New Zealand smoke cigarettes. |
The first television campaign targeting high smoking rates among
Pacific peoples launches in New Zealand on Sunday 26 March. Almost a third of Pacific
peoples living in New Zealand smoke cigarettes and The Quit Group’s latest campaign
aims to alert Pacific communities about the health risks of smoking.
Pacific Services Advisor Linda Tasi-Mulitalo says the campaign may generate questions
from Pacific smokers about the health effects of smoking, as well as interest in
quitting.
Mrs Tasi-Mulitalo says many Pacific peoples in New Zealand do not fully understand the
risks associated with smoking and that cigarette smoking is the most important cause of
premature death.
“Pacific peoples see their health as a lower priority than other obligations, such
as church, family and work. The problem is that people cannot meet these obligations if
they have serious diseases caused by cigarette smoking.”
The new commercial shows cigarette smoking causing fatty build-ups in the arteries
leading to heart attacks. Smoking increases blood pressure and increases the tendency for
blood to clot.
 |
| A story board image from Video Diaries, the new Quit TV
campaign in development. |
Empathetic quit campaign
Filming is underway on The Quit Group’s new empathetic campaign Video
Diaries. The concept involves following a number of smokers on the highs and lows of
their quitting journey. Relapse messages have been built into the concept.
Research company Litmus Research tested four concepts for The Quit Group
and Video Diaries stood out in terms of credibility, persuasiveness and
understanding. Focus group participants said the concept was accessible and compelling.
Participants also had a strong view the campaign should use real smokers and actors would
not have credibility.
The new campaign, produced by Ultimate Productions, will go to air later
this year. |
Television advertising update
| TV Commercial |
Airdate |
Flight length |
Heart Attack - Every cigarette is doing you damage
Call the Quitline
Its about Whānau |
Sunday 26 March - 7 April |
Two weeks |
| Second-hand smoke (Health Sponsorship Council) |
9 - 22 April |
Two weeks |
Heart Attack - Every cigarette is doing you damage
Call the Quitline
Its about Whānau |
23 April - 20 May |
Three weeks |
| World Smokefree Day Wishes (Health Sponsorship
Council) |
21 May - 3 June |
Probably one week but not yet
confirmed |
Heart Attack - Every cigarette is doing you damage
Call the Quitline
Its about Whānau |
4 - 31 June |
Three weeks |
Note: Schedules can change at short notice, depending on the impact of
advertising on calls to the Quitline.
Quitline service gets thumbs up
 Recent
changes to the Quitline service have been given the thumbs up in the latest Quitline Satisfaction
Survey of people registered for a quit attempt with the Quitline.
The report, prepared by Michele Grigg, Ramzan Azfal and Penny Salmon,
shows last year’s changes to the Quitline service mean callers can contact the
Quitline and speak to an Advisor more easily. Most clients have their calls answered
either immediately or within one minute and callers are getting their Quit Packs and
exchange cards much faster.
The survey results are the best since 2002 with callers to the Quitline
rating Advisors as very friendly, supportive and understanding.
A very high percentage of callers (98%) say they would recommend the
Quitline to family and friends and that the information they were given by the Quitline
was relevant.
There is scope to increase or reinforce the information given to callers
about NRT and a continuing need for mass media campaigns, according to the survey.
For more information: Michele Grigg; Michele.grigg@quit.org.nz. |
Quit Card update
Some DHB areas under-represented
The Quit Cards programme is running well with 468 providers registered on
the programme at December 2005. The Quit Group sent out 3,385 NRT cards to these providers
between July and September 2005.
There is, however, a large variation in the number of cards issued by
community providers on average.
The number of providers available for every 10,000 smokers in each DHB
also varies widely. The DHBs that have below the average number of providers are:
Northland, Waitemata, Counties-Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, MidCentral, and
Wairarapa.
DHB |
No of providers @ 7/12/05 |
No of cards sent to providers
Jul-Sep 05 |
No of cards issued by providers
Jul-Sep 05 |
No of cards issued per provider
Jul-Sep 05 |
No of smokers1 |
No of providers per 10,000
smokers |
Smoking Prevalence2 |
| Northland |
11 |
140 |
58 |
5.3 |
25326 |
4.3 |
25.1% |
| Waitemata |
22 |
120 |
106 |
4.8 |
59625 |
3.7 |
19.5% |
| Auckland |
48 |
560 |
375 |
7.8 |
51219 |
9.4 |
18.5% |
| Counties Manukau |
25 |
315 |
203 |
8.1 |
57528 |
4.3 |
22.9% |
| Waikato |
30 |
270 |
225 |
7.5 |
54432 |
5.5 |
23.1% |
| Bay of Plenty |
21 |
90 |
66 |
3.1 |
28959 |
7.3 |
23.5% |
| Lakes |
12 |
20 |
30 |
2.5 |
19473 |
6.2 |
27.8% |
| Tairawhiti |
9 |
135 |
21 |
2.3 |
9072 |
9.9 |
27.4% |
| Taranaki |
21 |
125 |
115 |
5.5 |
18351 |
11.4 |
22.8% |
| Hawke's Bay |
29 |
195 |
163 |
5.6 |
26865 |
10.8 |
24.8% |
| Whanganui |
18 |
40 |
22 |
1.2 |
12972 |
13.9 |
25.5% |
| MidCentral |
16 |
105 |
89 |
5.6 |
27036 |
5.9 |
22.2% |
| Wairarapa |
6 |
50 |
31 |
5.2 |
23748 |
2.5 |
23.4% |
| Capital and Coast |
30 |
275 |
180 |
6.0 |
37047 |
8.1 |
19.9% |
| Hutt Valley |
16 |
40 |
21 |
1.3 |
7599 |
21.1 |
26.1% |
| Nelson Marlborough |
25 |
150 |
128 |
5.1 |
18669 |
13.4 |
20.5% |
| West Coast |
6 |
90 |
71 |
11.8 |
6186 |
9.7 |
25.0% |
| Canterbury |
68 |
270 |
187 |
2.8 |
65847 |
10.3 |
20.0% |
| South Canterbury |
8 |
5 |
15 |
1.9 |
9102 |
8.8 |
21.4% |
| Otago |
24 |
225 |
166 |
6.9 |
29880 |
8.0 |
21.2% |
| Southland |
23 |
165 |
149 |
6.5 |
20280 |
11.3 |
24.5% |
| TOTAL |
468 |
3385 |
2421 |
5.2 |
609216 |
7.7 |
21.9% |
1. New Zealand Census 1996 (Statistics New Zealand)
2. New Zealand Census 1996 (Statistics New Zealand)
Note: Aukati Kai Paipa providers are included in the above figures
(except the 9 original AKP sites).
Fresh new ad combined with New Year resolutions send call levels soaring
Registered callers to the Quitline increased significantly in January and February as smokers made
good on their New Year resolutions. The new Every Cigarette is doing you damage/Lung
Tar television also contributed to the high call levels.
- A total of 3,180 callers were registered with the Quitline in February 2006 compared to
2,446 in February 2005 when call levels were also very high following the introduction of
the smokefree legislation.
- About 56 percent of the callers were female (1713 ) and about 40 percent were male
(1389).
- 23 percent of registered callers were Māori (742), 65 percent were New Zealand European
(2065) and 16 percent of the callers identified themselves as other ethnicities (Samoan,
Tongan, Niuean, Cook Island, Indian, Chinese, other European and other ethnicity).
- The highest proportion of callers were aged 25-29, followed by 30-34, and 35-39 years old.
Note: the New Year spike is very high this year due to a new TV advertisement combined with the New Year.
|
NRT in people with allergies and food Intolerance
Some callers to the Quitline are concerned they may be allergic to substances in NRT
patches or gum, and Quit Card providers are also likely to strike this issue.
Novartis, which markets Habitrol patches and gum, has confirmed that Habitrol patches
do not contain latex (natural from rubber, or synthetic). Providers can reassure clients
that they can safely use these patches, even when there have been problems with latex in
products such as gloves.
Habitrol gum does not contain sugar, dairy products, or gluten (a component of wheat
flour and some other grains.) Therefore gum can safely be used by diabetics, as well as
people with intolerance to milk products and those with gluten intolerance (coeliac
disease).
For more information contact The Quit Group’s Medical Advisor Peter Martin; peter.martin@quit.org.nz.
Relapse booklet helps quitters
 "Smokers who have read the relapse
booklet Relapse Matahoki are more likely to quit, according to a Quit Group evaluation of the resource. The Quit Group’s Research Team
interviewed 57 callers to the Quitline who had been sent Relapse Matahoki. Quitline Advisors and community workers
(GPs, health promoters and other providers) were also surveyed.
The Research Team says the number of callers interviewed was limited but it appears the resource is effective at
helping prevent relapse. Just over half of those surveyed also agreed that Relapse Matahoki gave them confidence they
would quit smoking permanently. Most respondents agreed that the resource helped them to understand and prevent relapse.
However the researchers did find a low level of awareness about Relapse
Matahoki among community workers. The resource is available from the Ministry of
Health’s Health Ed website: www.healthed.govt.nz.
For more information about the evaluation contact Penny Salmon; penny.salmon@quit.org.nz. |
|
Phone: 04-460-9899 Fax: 04-470-7632