Quitline Celebrates its 40,000 Quitters

Quitline Celebrates its 40,000 Quitters on World Smokefree Day

This World Smokefree Day (Sunday 31 May) Quitline is paying special tribute to the 40,000 New Zealanders who sign up to quit smoking with the service every year.

Quitline Chief Executive Paula Snowden says: "Quitting is a fantastic thing to do for yourself, your family and your home. Quitting saves lives, it saves health care costs and more importantly it means that children have the chance to grow up in a smokefree world, a world free of the addiction that kills one in two of smokers. This World Smokefree Day we want to acknowledge the huge step that the 40,000 people who’ve signed up to quit with Quitline in the past year have taken."

Among these 40,000 people are a group of 6,000 bloggers who share their quitting tips and personal journeys on Quitline’s website (www.quit.org.nz/blogs). In the past year they have posted 11,153 blog posts and written 93,492 messages of support. Quitline’s client evaluations show that this unique support is one that greatly improves a person’s chances of successfully quitting.

Blogger Jan from Invercargill says: “Quitting smoking is the best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. Health wise I have had some major improvements, the unexpected spinoff from quitting was joining a gym. This has doubly improved the health benefits of quitting which have been many and my skin looks so much better and people say I look younger now. Financially it’s awesome - I have saved $4,104 so far!”

Blogger Marie from Lower Hutt says: “I have been smokefree for almost one and a half years and I am forever grateful for the freedom I have given myself. I am also financially better off and am still banking my smoking money.”

Quitline Chief Executive Paula Snowden explains: “We know that quitting smoking is hard work but with the right support it can be done and the bloggers are living proof of that. In addition to our phone and online support, the Quitline blog is a unique and vital part of our support programme. It is incredible to see thousands of people, all at different stages of their quitting journeys, providing information and encouragement to each other. As far as we know, the Quitline blog is the only one like it in the world, once again showing our leadership in tobacco control and cessation support on an international stage.”

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