Staff and domestic students who smoke may access support and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) through the Quitline. Quit Cards can be obtained through the Quitline and redeemed without charge at participating pharmacies around the University. Support and Quit cards can also be accessed through the University's on-campus Quit Advisors, also known as Smokefree Champions, as well as through existing health and safety services.
Quit Cards can be redeemed for free nicotine replacement treatments at participating local pharmacies. To be eligible for this funding you must be a New Zealand Resident and take your Quit card and University staff or student ID card to one of the nominated pharmacies.
How to obtain a Quit Card in three easy steps:
1) To get a Quit Card to access Nicotine Replacement Therapy (gum, lozenges or patches), call Quitline on 0800 778 778, register through their website, or arrange a meeting with an on-campus Quit Advisor.
2) Once you have your Quit Card, if you are a staff member or domestic student you can redeem it and qualify for a subsidised dispensing fee at a participating local pharmacy.
3) Take your Quit Card and University or Student ID to one of these four pharmacies.
Dunedin quit group
Free 7-week quit smoking groups are being run in Dunedin by specially trained Southern DHB staff. The groups meet for one hour a week and patches, gum and lozenges are availalble free of charge. Call 03 476 9823 or text 027 545 8602 to book a place.
Handy hints for anyone wishing to quit smoking:
1) Set a quit date.
2) Know your reasons for quitting. Knowing your reasons can help you stay motivated and give you the focus and determination to become smoke-free.
3) Know your triggers. Cravings to smoke can be triggered by habits and emotions as well as the physical addiction to nicotine. Knowing what these triggers are can help you plan to deal with cravings.
4) Use patches, gum and lozenges. These products been shown to double your chances of successfully quitting.
5) Develop strategies to stay quit. For further tips on staying quit, visit here.