Quitting smoking made easier

Quitting smoking will be even easier for Cape York, Torres Strait, and Northern Peninsula Area residents with increased access across the region to nicotine replacement therapies.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Medical Director Primary Health Dr Ineke Wever, said a range of nicotine replacement options were now readily available through all primary health care centres for people to take home.

“These include options such as nicotine gum, lozenges, Quick Mist, inhalers and others,’’ she said.

“These will now be available in addition to existing quit smoking therapies such as nicotine patches and tablets for heavier smokers.’’

Dr Wever said a five-month pilot program providing ready access to a range of nicotine replacement therapies at the point of care on Thursday Island had been well received.

A five-month pilot program of access to point of care nicotine replacement therapies on Thursday Island showed that:

• seventeen per cent of patients who attended for one-month follow up had successfully quit smoking.
• seventy-five per cent of those patients who successfully quit had used the NRT product supplied.
• seventy-five per cent of patients who were still smoking had cut down.
• sixty-seven per cent of patients used the NRT product provided and would recommend it to others.

Dr Wever said inhalers were the most popular option during the trial. She said quitting smoking was an important step towards better health.

“We already know tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Queensland," she said.

“Exposure to second-hand smoke also causes diseases and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke.

“Across Australia, tobacco use currently accounts for 37% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths, and half of all deaths for those aged 45 years and over.

“Here, within our health service region, 48% of First Nations patients identify as currently smoking, and 43% of all our patients, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, identify as current smokers which is almost half our population.

“The high proportion of smokers in our communities can make it harder to quit because with such a large number of people currently smoking, there is a much higher chance of being offered a cigarette while trying to quit."

Dr Wever said cigarettes did not just affect your lungs but could also affect throat and airway and increase risk of heart attack, stroke, and several cancers.

She said from 1 July, a new lung cancer screening program in the region to pick up signs of lung cancer would offer a low-dose CT scan at Thursday Island and Weipa hospitals for heavy smokers and ex-smokers aged from 50–70 years.

“We can offer also offer them nicotine replacement therapies and smoking cessation during this consultation," she said.

Dr Wever said Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was one of the five leading conditions for which smokers were hospitalised and which caused a chronic cough and difficulties with breathing.

She said quitting smoking at any age greatly reduced the risk of disease and death. However, the earlier people stop, the greater the benefit.

“In the first few months after quitting, a person’s lung function will begin to improve and coughing up phlegm will reduce; their heart will also begin work more efficiently and the stress put onto it will lessen," she said.

“In one year, their risk of heart attacks will be cut in half. In five years, their risk of stroke has lessened and, after 15 years of quitting, their risk of heart attacks and strokes is almost the same as a person who has never smoked.

“It’s never too late to improve your future, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local health facility and health staff for help on how to quit smoking. The more people in our communities quit smoking the healthier our people will be."

To start your Quit journey, visit Quit HQ or Tobacco and vaping | Health and wellbeing on the Queensland Government website.

You can also call Quitline 137848.