Welcome to the June 2006 QuitChat

In this issue:

• New Quit campaign launch
• Helen Glasgow honoured in awards
• Paula quits for her kids
• Call for stronger graphic warnings
• Quitline Caller registrations from DHBs
• Number of callers registered with the Quitline
• Research briefs

New Quit campaign launch 

30-year-old Natasha smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day when filming started on the new campaign.

The Quit Group launches a new supportive quit television campaign next month.

The documentary style series of commercials, filmed without scripting, follows three smokers on the highs and lows of their quitting journey.

30-year-old Natasha smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day when filming started on the new campaign. Stu has two children and smoked up to 45 cigarettes a day and 33-year-old Mitch works in the hospitality industry.

Quitline Advisor Tinka Kiri supported Stu and says he was very determined to quit. She helped him work on strategies, lifestyle changes and smoking triggers.

Mitch hit trouble soon after he quit when he lost his job and had to change flat. However Tinka says he coped with the stress, despite the added strain of friends teasing him about quitting smoking.

"Mitch had to face friends lining up and blowing smoke at him but he didn't falter."

Tinka's approach is to get quitters to think about how non-smokers cope with stress and to work out how they would deal with a major crisis without reaching for a cigarette.

"Smokers need to accept that none of us can escape stress in our lives. I tell people trying to quit to ask the non-smokers in their lives how they deal with worst case scenarios," she says.

Helen Glasgow with Hone Harawira Helen Glasgow honoured in awards   The Quit Group's Executive Director Helen Glasgow has been recognised by the Māori Party for her many years of hard work in tobacco control for both The Quit Group and the Cancer Society. At a function to mark World Smokefree Day on 31 May, Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira presented Helen with a Black Rock award - a variation on the Black Pearl award for Māori women. Mr Harawira noted that smokefree organisations like The Quit Group are doing a fantastic job, with Māori smoking rates down five percent. After accepting the award, Helen noted that Māori caller registrations to the Quitline have increased recently and Māori Party leadership and debate has contributed to this result. Quit Group Board member, Mary McCulloch also received an award for her work with Te Hotu Manawa Māori, and other recipients included Iain Potter, Marewa Glover, Shane Kawatene Bradbrook and Nicola MacDonald from ASH.

Paula quits for her kids 

Paula Rogers with daughters Sacha (left) and Bianca (right)

Paula Rogers has much more time to spend with her two young girls since she quit smoking. When Paula smoked 25 cigarettes a day, she spent a lot of time outside so her two children weren't exposed to toxic secondhand smoke.

"I gave up smoking for my kids. They really hated me smoking and they hated the amount of time it took me away from them."

Paula had her first cigarette when she was 14 years old and has no illusions that quitting is easy. She quit during both her pregnancies but was back smoking up to 25 cigarettes a day by the time her babies were 15 months.

"I was the sort of smoker who would start panicking if I was down to my last cigarette, even though I knew I didn't need another smoke for an hour."

Quitting was horrendous but Paula says this time she was determined that nicotine addiction would not beat her. She got support from Quitline, which advised her to remove all tobacco, lighters and ashtrays from her house and use distraction tactics like drinking water, exercise and deep breathing.

"I was very angry for the first three weeks after I quit. I was angry with myself and angry with the addiction."

Stopping smoking also meant temporarily avoiding situations that triggered cravings, such as chatting on the phone and sitting down for a cup of coffee. Paula says she had to stay away from smokers. Eighteen months down the track she can sit down with smokers and have a glass of wine.

Quitline staff helped by checking in and giving moral support and pats on the back, Paula says; however she thinks smokers must be very determined to successfully quit.

"It is just not going to work if you are half hearted."

Paula now feels much physically better and says she can feel the oxygen going into her lungs. As a single mum she had started worrying about what would happen to her kids if she died of smoking related disease.

"Everyone knows smokers who are alive in their eighties but that's just luck. I just wasn't willing to take that risk," she says.

Call for stronger graphic warnings  One example of the proposed graphic health warnings to be featured on cigarette packets The Quit Group supports the Ministry of Health's proposal for graphic warnings on tobacco products but is calling for an increase in the size of the images. Overseas research shows graphic warnings do work and that larger warnings are more effective. The ministry's recently released discussion document proposes warnings that cover 50 percent of the front and back of cigarette packets or 30 percent of the front and 90 percent of the back. We are recommending graphic warnings on 50 percent of the front of the packet and 90 percent of the back. If the ministry is unable to increase the size of the warnings, we are reluctantly recommending the 50/50 option. The Quit Group also strongly recommends that the Quitline number is shown on both sides of the packet, regardless of the size of the graphic warning. Anecdotal reports from Australia show big increases in calls to State Quitlines following the recent introduction of graphic warnings, combined with a back-up mass media campaign.

Quitline Caller registrations from DHBs 

Research briefs 

Nicotine vaccine trials

Three vaccines to help smokers quit are under development, with two vaccines nearing phase three trials. The vaccines stimulate production of antibodies that bind to nicotine molecules in the blood. These become too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier and deprive nicotine receptors in the brain of the stimulus that leads to addiction.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol.98, No5, 1 March 2006

Impact of Smoking Cessation Aids and Mass Media Among Recent Quitters

A survey of 6739 Massachusetts residents found recent quitters reported anti-tobacco television campaigns were the most helpful quitting aid. Ads that showed graphic health effects in an emotional way were the most effective.
Am J Prev Med 2006;30 (3):217-224

The potential of quitlines to increase smoking cessation

Convenient services like Quitlines are likely to play an increasing role in smoking cessation, according to a study by the Cancer Control Research Institute in Melbourne. The authors conclude Quitlines will need to be structured in ways that allow them to meet the special needs of as many sub-groups as possible.
Drug and Alcohol Review (January 2006), 25, 73-78