Quit smoking groups target young uni students
By Angela Beswick
Young smoker Hamish Williams is eager to quit, but says the pressure in social situations often gets the better of him.
The 24-year-old says the biggest challenge in quitting, is being around friends who are smoking and not pinching one off them.
“I would stop buying smokes and go without one for days, but then I’d see some mates light up and almost instinctively ask them for one. I could never just stand around and watch.”
Health professionals used World Smokefree Day as an opportunity to spread the smokefree message, targeting younger smokers at university.
Smoking rates are the highest amongst the 20 to 24 age group, with many indicating they want to quit.
“We want them to know the support and tools are available,” says Auckland Regional Public Health Service spokesman, Dr Andrew Lindsay.
“The earlier they quit, the better it is for their health.”
The focus this year is on encouraging students to quit and promoting the services to do so available on university campuses, as well as education around supporting a friend or family member trying to kick the habit.
The smokefree message was spread to students, including future nurses at AUT’s North Shore campus.
“As well as helping those that want to quit, we are looking to promote smokefree to nursing and health students,” says Director of Smokefree Services Aotearoa, Grace Wong.
“Nurses are able to offer smoking quit advice when interacting with patients.”
Events were also held at Carrington Unitec and Massey University’s Albany campus.
Students have responded positively to the initiative, with a number of long-time smokers suggesting they will attempt to quit.
“Students who smoke were approaching the ‘quit coaches’ and asking for advice,” says Ms Wong.
“It was a fresh approach to promoting health and there was a lot of interest from the students.”
Mr Williams is eager to give up the habit.
“I will try to quit – and I hope to stick with it,” Mr Williams says.
However, he adds, the emphasis needs to be on ongoing support.
“Knowing me, I will probably start back up in a few weeks’ time.”
Earlier this month the Smokefree Coalition released figures which showed at least 64 percent of New Zealanders supported a complete ban on tobacco sales by the year 2020.
“We know that smokers want to quit,” Quit Group chief executive Paula Snowden said.
“We need to support them to quit, and stay quit.”
Around 29 percent of those in the 20 to 24-year-old age group are smokers, a statistic that Mr Williams says he isn’t surprised by.
“Kids are starting quite young these days, so it seems normal that by the age of 20 it has become a serious habit,” he says.
“Thanks to added awareness generated these days from various media, I wouldn’t be surprised if the average ‘realise-my-mistake-and-quit-for-good’ age has dropped too.”
Ms Snowden recommends further tax increases to discourage the purchase of cigarettes. Calls to Quitline soared following the most recent increase, with at least 3000 smokers registering with the service.
“They have been coming to us in record numbers since the price went up. But we need to provide incentives so smokers keep choosing to beat the addiction.”
But Mr Williams says the price pays little part in his decision to keep smoking.
“That hasn’t made a difference to me really,” he says.
“I still find it so easy to replenish my smokes when I’m through with a pack. Every time I’m at the supermarket doing groceries, or at the gas station – it’s just so easy to do.
“I suppose seeing someone who smokes a lot, like my old man, drop the habit – that would be encouraging,” he says.
“Or if a bunch of my friends quit with me, that would certainly help.”
Quit support is available on campus, including access to discounted nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), which doubles a smoker’s chance of quitting compared to will power alone.
World Smokefree Day is officially May 31.