FAQs
What are the health effects of smoking?
Where can I go for information about quitting smoking?
Who can I call to talk to someone about quitting and to get low cost patches and gum?
Are there any quit smoking programmes specifically for Māori?
Are there any smokefree websites specifically for Māori?
Are there any quit smoking programmes specifically for Pacific peoples?
What online resources are available to help someone quit smoking?
How can I find or contact someone who works in Smokefree/Auahi Kore in my area?
Are there any Smokefree programmes set up for youth?
Where can I find out about the activities of the tobacco industry in New Zealand?
What sort of laws does New Zealand have about smoking?
Where can I make a complaint if I think a smokefree law has been broken?
Can I get help in approaching my council about smokefree outdoor places?
What is World Smokefree Day and how can I find out about it?
What are the health effects of smoking?
Smoking has many negative health effects including increased risk of developing diseases such as:
- stroke and heart disease
- cancers of the lung, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and pancreas
- diseases of the urinary tract, pelvis, bladder and digestive tract
- blindness.
Smoking causes about 25% of all cancer deaths in New Zealand, and one out of every 10 deaths worldwide. Around 5,000 New Zealanders die each year fom smoking-related illnesses (4,700 from smoking and around 350 from second-hand smoke).
Second-hand smoke, where non-smokers breathe in the smoke of others around them, can cause heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, asthma and the worsening of asthma symptoms, eye and nasal irritation and nasal sinus cancer. Exposure of non-smoking women to second-hand smoke during pregnancy can reduce foetal growth, and is also associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Around 350 New Zealanders die each year because of exposure to other people’s tobacco smoke.
To find out more, visit the following sections of this website
Where can I go for information about quitting smoking?
A number of New Zealand websites have information about the benefits and quitting smoking, and how to quit.
See the Quitting section of this website.
Who can I call to talk to someone about quitting and to get low cost patches and gum?
Using nicotine patches and gum can double your chances of quitting.
The Quit Group offers a service where you can call them or fill out an online form to receive a Quit Card to take to a pharmacy and get a low cost, eight-week supply of patches and/or gum.
If you call the Quitline (0800 778 778) you can talk to a smokefree advisor about quitting and receiving support while you quit. The Quit Group website also has other useful resources like an online blog and quitting calculators. There is no cost to become a member.
See the Quitting section of this website.
Are there any quit smoking programmes specifically for Māori?
The Quit Group provides quit smoking services to all New Zealanders. However, it has a number of Māori advisors, and aims to improve quit rates among Māori.
Aukati KaiPaipa runs from nearly 30 locations around New Zealand and provides face-to-face counselling to help Māori quit smoking. It is mainly for Māori women and their whānau.
Find your nearest Aukati KaiPaipa provider...
Are there any smokefree websites specifically for Māori?
Yes, there are a number of smokefree websites that have information specific to Māori and smoking. These include:
These sites all look at smokefree issues from a Māori perspective.
There are also a number of sites providing research information related to Māori and smoking.
Are there any quit smoking programmes specifically for Pacific peoples?
The Quit Group has a number of Pacific advisors and is developing resources and campaigns specifically for Pacific peoples.
The Tala Pasifika site also has a Pacific directory as well as information on quitting specific to Pacific peoples.
What online resources are available to help someone quit smoking?
There are lots of resources available online to help with:
- quitting
- spreading the smokefree message
- giving you a better understanding of smoking and its effects in New Zealand.
Many resources are free, including brochures, leaflets, fact sheets, posters and booklets.
There are also resources you can buy such as smokefree clothing, stickers and key rings.
How can I find or contact someone who works in Smokefree/Auahi Kore in my area?
The Need Support section of the website will help you locate your local health promotion unit.
The Smokefree Coalition also has a Smokefree/Auahi Kore Directory that provides contact details for individuals and tobacco control organisations in New Zealand. It is available to Smokefree/Auahi Kore workers in print form.
Download a copy of the Smokefree/Auahi Kore Directory...
Are there any Smokefree programmes set up for youth?
Smoking Not Our Future is the current, direct-to-youth initiative that uses testimonials from high-profile music, media and sport personalities to deliver a variety of smokefree messages. You can watch past and present television advertisements and past celebrities’ behind-the-scenes videos. There are also quitting tips, viral games, and a Twitter feed.
Where can I find out about the activities of the tobacco industry in New Zealand?
ASH's website provides links to tobacco industry documents and an extensive menu of articles related to the tobacco industry.
What sort of laws does New Zealand have about smoking?
New Zealand has strong tobacco control legislation, including bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, the sale of cigarettes to those under 18 years and on smoking on public transport.
Indoor workplaces are required to be smokefree, including bars, restaurants, clubs, casinos, offices, factories, warehouses and work canteens. Schools and early childhood centres are also required to be smokefree at all times – including in their grounds.
See the Legislation section of this website.
Where can I make a complaint if I think a smokefree law has been broken?
To complain about a breach of New Zealand’s smokefree legislation, contact a smokefree officer at your local public health service.
Visit the Smokefree Law website for a list of numbers to call.
Can I get help in approaching my council about smokefree outdoor places?
A number of councils around New Zealand have introduced smokefree policies for their parks, playgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools and/or other outdoor areas. These policies generally rely on signage and education and, though not strictly enforced, tend to be well supported by the public.
Visit the Smokefree Councils website to find out more about how to approach and work with your local council to implement a smokefree outdoor places policy.
What is World Smokefree Day and how can I find out about it?
World Smokefree Day (known elsewhere in the world as World No Tobacco Day) is annually promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 May. The day's activities vary from country to country.
The purpose of World Smokefree Day is to inform people about the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what is being done to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
Check out the World Smokefree Day section of this site to find out more about the next World Smokefree Day (as well as what’s happened in the past).
Do you have a question not answered here? Contact us and we'll have it added.
