Client Stories

Mark

"Sitting and talking with my quit coach is like sitting and talking with comedian and talk show host Jay Leno. She is upbeat, positive yet serious enough to make the laughs appreciated. We discuss all corners of life – unpleasant and pleasant, infamous and celebrated, forgettable and memorable, sad and joyful. Time passes quickly but has never once been rushed. She always seems to have enough time - miraculous patience. Right from our first meeting we made progress and it was only due to unfortunate circumstances that I relapsed and then took some months to recover to where I am now – over a month smoke free. I am grateful for the methods and in particular, the home visits which make me feel very privileged and very special. Absolutely satisfied with the process and delighted with the results! Myself and my family and friends couldn’t be more grateful for Smokefree NZ and especially for my quit coach."

Annette

Annette's journey started in April 2024. She hoped that now matter how hard or long it took, she was going to give up smoking, and this time for good. She has tried many times since to give up since the 2011 earthquakes and has only lasted a few days as she would feel good and then just want to start again. Annette built whanaungatanga with her coach and made plans around how to slowly reduce day by day. She was smoking about 15 smokes a day when her journey started and was cutting down week by week. This seemed to work for her and eventually she got down to 3 to 5 per day. Annette had been on a waitlist for knee surgery, and finally got the call in early August 2024 that she would be having surgery in mid-September. She decided enough was enough and she decided to quit as she didn’t want to go into surgery being a smoker. Annette used patched and lozenges to quit and it has taken 5 months. She now feels fantastic, her skin is glowing and she has a lot more money in her bank account. She has been buying things she never thought she would, such as a sound bar for her TV, she has paid off her car and the repairs that were needed. Her biggest achievement is having a clear Visa bill as she used this to buy her smokes a week and was forever paying it off with high interest. Annette has been a very blessed whaiora who wanted to make that change and stay that way. It wasn’t for the support she received she wouldn’t have been able to do this. She feels connected, confident and amazed that she has done this.

Heather

"Honestly when I would think about my future - usually at New Year's - at no time did I see myself being a non-smoker. There were lots of things I wanted to do but giving up smokes was seldom among them. I smoked for nearly four decades, starting when I was in high school. In my circle of friends and family, being a smoker was kind of the norm. I liked smoking because it made me feel a certain way - relaxed, able to reflect on things, tune-out from stress - and was a chance to have some 'me' time. Sure, you often coughed and spluttered, frowned as the smoke swirled in your eyes, then smoked it right to the last acrid puff, all the while being pleased if you got to enjoy it uninterrupted! I had my last puff of tobacco in September 2024. I thought I could alternate between vaping and smoking but weirdly the tobacco tasted foul! So I traded smoking for a vape and patches. Family were pleased to hear that I had kicked it. They were coming from the improved health angle. I was looking more from the improved wealth angle. That was the motivation. I couldn’t afford to buy smokes or tobacco. I don’t really miss it. I have had three smokers visit since I stopped. I wondered if I’d be tempted. They’d smoke and I’d vape. It smelt gross when I could smell it on them or their clothes, but otherwise it was just a familiar smell. If I walk through a mall, I can smell a smoker if they walk past me. It’s like having super-powers and I realised that eww I used to smell like that to non-smokers. My sense of taste has changed too. Foods and snacks I liked before now taste different or unpleasant to me - mostly too sweet. One thing I know right at this moment is I will probably stay a non-smoker. I enjoy good sleeps, seldom snore anymore, and feel more alert, maybe even more clear headed. No urge to become a marathon runner, or even an 'around the block' walker as yet. My smokefree journey continues."

Hannah

"My stop smoking journey wasn’t just about willpower or suddenly deciding to stop. It was a process, and the change in my mindset was the key to success. When I first met my quit coach, I was caught in a cycle of smoking, feeling shame after each cigarette, and then smoking again to deal with that same shame. They helped me understand that stopping wasn’t about weakness - it was about regaining control. My quit coach introduced me to nicotine patches and gum in our first conversation as part of a structured plan. She explained that these tools weren’t a crutch but a bridge - one that would help my body adjust gradually while I focused on changing the mental side of the habit. She was very clear on how to use them effectively. The patch released a steady, controlled amount of nicotine into my system, helping to reduce cravings without the spikes and crashes I was used to with cigarettes. She stressed consistency: I had to replace it at the same time each day. The nicotine gum was for those strong cravings. I had to "park" it between my cheek and gums to let the nicotine absorb slowly so I wouldn’t overload on nicotine. These tools gave me physical relief from the cravings, but what was even more important was how my quit coach helped me shift my mindset. Instead of feeling shame, I began to see smoking as a habit I could control - not something controlling me. I stopped feeling like I was failing and realised that each time I chose not to smoke or used the patch or gum correctly I was winning. My quit coach was there every step of the way, reminding me that it was okay to lean on these supports. What mattered was how I used this time to focus on breaking free from smoking. Week by week, the cravings lessened. With each passing day, I felt more in control - not just of the nicotine, but of my choices, my health, and my future. In about four weeks, I had not only stopped smoking, but I had also fundamentally changed how I saw myself in relation to the habit. With my coach's guidance, I learned that stopping smoking wasn’t about shame or guilt - it was about empowerment. I could do it—and I did. I'm now completely smokefree, and more than $250 a week better off financially. I understand that the future may bring challenges and temptation to smoke, but I am prepared with the right mindset, and all the right tools to pick myself up, dust myself off, and go again."

North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery

Congratulations to the team at North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery who received support from one of our practitioners. We asked them what’s the best thing about giving smoking the flick? "Saving Money and having family and Children that are proud.” What a fantastic achievement for this group becoming smokefree together.

Paulene

Paulene has been smokefree for 8 weeks now and her advice to others is to “Give it a go and put it in your mind. Have a support person that can follow through with you, that’s what helps, it’s brilliant. You’ve got someone else to prove you’re worth hanging in for…” Paulene’s journey began with her pre-op at the hospital where she was told she would have to smoke across the road – she thought “I’ll be buggered if I’ll do that!” and afterwards she describes that it was “like a shutter, suddenly I had no interest in smoking and I kept it up.” She was offered support from Te Hā – Waitaha through the hospital. “I thought I may as well have a bit of a fuss about me and I felt like I was proving that I was stronger than I thought I was. I felt like I had Mum in me - her strength with me, everything fell into place. I have inner peace and respect for myself, and my integrity back. I’m getting things into perspective, doing things I couldn’t do before – and I hardly ever cough anymore. My goal is to get to Melbourne to see my brother with the extra money I have now.”

Matt

Matt says “I recently became Smokefree, 5 weeks ago. If you want to be Smokefree you can. If you want expert advice and unconditional support; Te Hā - Waitaha can be your place to go to talk, listen and share. They are trained to understand, support and have the technology as well as free Nicotine Replacement Therapy. We are born non-smokers, you can take back what’s yours – health, money and your long-life.”