Smoking stats put Maori women in unwanted light | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

It's a statistic that Wanganui can never be proud of, but unfortunately we have one of the highest smoking rates in the country and the highest rate of Maori women who smoke.

And it's these numbers which health providers will be targeting today as a part of No Smoking Day.

Surveys undertaken at Wanganui Hospital during July and September this year showed that more than 48 per cent of Maori women using the maternity service were smokers while less than 20 per cent of non-Maori were smokers.

The Whanganui District Health Board's Smokefree team will be in Trafalgar Square from 11am to 2pm today encouraging shoppers who smoke to embrace No Smoking Day on November 1 and give up smoking for good.

Julie Tolladay-Poulton, the WDHB Smokefree co-ordinator, said data showed that smoking during pregnancy was associated with a 25 per cent increased risk of miscarriage and that women who smoke during pregnancy were 40 per cent more likely to experience a still birth than non-smokers.

"And babies who are born to smokers are 40 per cent more likely to die within the first four weeks of life than those born to non-smokers," she said.

She and colleague Barbara Greene will be at the shopping complex, pushing the no smoking message as well as answering any questions people may have about what aids are available to help them give up.

Mrs Tolladay-Poulton said smoking was the most preventable cause of death and chronic illness in NZ and the WDHB was "very focused" on turning the region's high rates around.

"We are making progress. When the Ministry of Health's quarter four health target results were released in August, the Wanganui ranked third of 20 DHBs for its efforts to help smokers quit," she said.

The ministry's target is for 95 per cent of hospitalised smokers be given advice and offers of assistance to quit smoking and Wanganui has surpassed that target by reaching 97 per cent.

Mrs Tolladay-Poulton said the WDHB was very focused on reducing the cancers, and respiratory and cardiac diseases that tobacco can cause. Among the treatments offered were nicotine patches, gum and lozenges.

BAD NEWS

5000 NZers die each year from tobacco

1 person every day dies from secondhand smoke in NZ

12.5 per cent of every NZer reports smoking taking place in their home

36 per cent of Maori Year 10 students report that smoking happens in their home

15 - A young person smoking at this age will have a 35-year history of addiction to tobacco

 

Getting help to quit

Anyone seeking help to quit their addiction can call at the Quit Clinic, on the corner of Ingestre and Wicksteed Sts between 9am-4pm Monday to Friday. No appointment or referral is required and there is no charge.

The Te Ha Ora team from Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority (ph 348 0282) is the local Aukati Kai Paipa provider, and use a Maori model of cessation by Maori for Maori. This is a free service.

Call the Quit Line 0800 778 778 or go to www.quit.org.nz. The Quit Line service is delivered by phone, text, or on line and mail out quit cards. GPs and medical centres provide the full range of smoking cessation assistance.