The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is witnessed to be busy in preparations to celebrate World Smokefree Day – a global event aimed to draw attention to the harmful impacts posed by smoking, on Monday 31 May.

The new figures released reveal that smokers are quitting, and supporting each other to quit, in record numbers.

NZNO kaiwhakahaere, NZNO’s spokesperson for Smokefree Coalition Tupeka Kore Campaign quoted, “I am proud to say that NZNO strongly advocates for legislation and strategies that aim to help smokers quit and to prevent our rangatahi from starting to smoke in the first place. At the moment we are asking government to eliminate tobacco retail displays in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Paula Snowden, Chief Executive of The Quit Group which runs the Quitline feels that the tax hikes have proved to be the required trigger many people wanted to witness - prompting thousands to quit.

In addition, she posted that the use of our blogs by many people these days to assist each other to quit, and stay quit, is very encouraging.

She underlines that fact that the best support a smoker can fetch is from someone else who has quit.

Anyone seeking additional information related to quitting smoking can contact Quitline on 0800 778778 or visit www. quit. org. nz. More information about World Smokefree Day can be grabbed at www. worldsmokefreeday. org. nz