Supermarkets counting down in smokefree challenge

16 May 2016

Supermarkets counting down in smokefree challenge

Over 20 supermarket staff are breathing in clean air as they take part in a challenge to stay smokefree in the lead-up to World Smokefree Day on May 31.

Teams of staff from five Countdown supermarkets in Taranaki have signed up to the competition being run by the Taranaki Smokefree Coalition. It began in early April with a meeting in Stratford inviting people to register, and runs throughout the month of May.

They will ‘battle’ against each other with the winning team liable for a top prize of $1000. During each of the four weeks, an individual nominated by Smokefree Quit coaches, will also win a $100 Countdown voucher.

Teams hail from stores in New Plymouth central, Waiwhakaiho The Valley, Vogeltown, Stratford and Hawera with the biggest number of smokefree ‘advocates’ at Vogeltown. There, eight staff have signed up and already seven are smokefree.

Each team and its individuals will be ‘coached’ by AKP (Aukati Kaipaipa) staff from Tui Ora and Pinnacle Midlands Health who take them through the steps involved in quitting, provide ongoing advice and, where required, nicotine replacement alternatives. Verifications of carbon dioxide levels at key stages along the process indicate whether a person is smokefree.

Carla Adlam of Tui Ora says the initiative is believed to be unique in that it involves employees from a large company who are spread across a range of sites. Countdown is fully supportive of the initiative and is backing its staff.

Jess Stubbs, Store Manager from Countdown The Valley, is enthusiastic about the challenge which he is taking part in. “Our purpose at Countdown is to help make Kiwis' lives a little better every day, and that goes for our team too. If we can support some of our people to help quit smoking then that's a good thing.”
He says he could personally save over $8000 a year, but the health benefits are the biggest win and the extra money just a bonus. “It's great to have support at work to do something like this rather than go it alone; having other people going through what you're going through is really valuable.”

Countdown is a large employer in Taranaki and there are hopes that if people see it getting involved other businesses might also get on board. “It's going to benefit lots of different parts of the community if people give up smoking,” says Jess.

The members of the Taranaki Smokefree Coalition are the Cancer Society, Taranaki District Health Board, Ngati Ruanui Tahua Trust and Tui Ora and Pinnacle Midlands Health.

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