New Year sees rush to give up smoking

The number of smokers trying to quit in Wanganui has risen dramatically since New Year, say local pharmacies.

The January 1 price rise and the growing awareness of the health dangers saw smokers seeking help from chemists, their GPs and Quitline.

Nicotine gum was the hot favourite followed by patches and lozenges, chemists said.

One pharmacist said some people had given up smoking but were now addicted to the gum.

At Aramoho Pharmacy, Ray Anderson said dozens of quitters had come in since New Year.

"It's not easy to do, but we encourage them as much as we can."

Some people had been pushed into giving up with others finding the latest price rise just too much, he said.

Mr Anderson said you can pick the determined quitters, the ones who will give up.

"Because the ones who are not so sure keep coming back for more help."

There had been a steady flow of people trying to quit coming into the Wicksteed Pharmacy, manager Bernie Muller said.

"For some it was their New Year's resolution; it was the right time to give it away."

Patches, lozenges are tried first, then, if they fail, some people get themselves on to medication like Champix which only comes with a doctor's prescription.

At Gonville Pharmacy, Lynette Hood said that since cigarettes rose in price a stream of people trying to give up came into the shop.

"Some people really struggle with it but most really want to make it happen."

National stop-smoking support service Quitline said this week there had been a record number of people throughout New Zealand trying to quit.

Nearly 2500 had signed to the service's telephone and web-based support in the first week of 2012.

In Wanganui more than 40 people had registered with Quitline since January 1.