New Zealand has a goal of reducing smoking prevalence to a minimal level by 2025 (often referred to as ‘Smokefree 2025’).1 This goal is supported by one of the six New Zealand health targets: better help for smokers to quit that is designed to prompt smokers to make a quit attempt and use evidence-based cessation support.2 Cessation support available includes a range of services and products, such as behavioural support (delivered via face-to-face, telephone, internet etc), nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and other medicines (including Bupropion, Zyban and Champix).3 The Health Promotion Agency’s (HPA) Health and Lifestyles Survey (HLS) provides insight into New Zealanders’ tobacco-related behaviours and attitudes, including smoking cessation behaviours. This fact sheet examines smokers’ quit attempts and use of support in the past 12 months.
Methodology
In 2014, current smokers and recent quittersa (n=640) were asked "in the last 12 months, how many serious attempts to stop smoking did you make that lasted 24 hours or longer?" Those who had made at least one quit attempt that lasted 24 hours or longer in the past 12 months (n=334), were asked to "identify any help, advice, programmes and products used to help you quit during your last quit attempt" and multiple responses were permitted.
Responses to the first question were compared by ethnicity, neighbourhood deprivation status, age, gender and educational background. See the ‘About the Health and Lifestyles Survey’ section for more detail and the relevant comparison groups. Sub-group analysis was not conducted for the second question due to the small sample size.