Another quit smoking initiative has been announced for Tasmania, this time in Launceston.
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This week, Healthy Tasmania has engaged a handful of workers from Launceston’s City Mission to go through a six-week program to help them give up the smokes.
The 14 wanna-be quitters will be stepped through the program, which will include treatments like medication, lifestyle support in counselling, and incentives in an $80 gift voucher.
Carefully planned out, the program is the result of research from Healthy Tasmania, into what are the most effective ways for people to quit smoking, and stick to it.
While the program will start with 14 employees at City Mission, it is hoped that it will spawn further opportunities to offer it to other workplaces.
It’s the second quit smoking trial we’ve seen launched in Tasmania this year.
The other, last month, was announced for Glamorgan Spring Bay, where smokers can take part in a three-month program to help them quit.
The program will use vouchers for local businesses, if they pass regular quit checks.
Healthy Tasmania is also involved in this program.
We all know the saying that it takes a village to raise a child.
Perhaps it’s time to adapt that phrase to, it takes a village to help a person stop smoking.
The facts are black and white: cigarettes are deadly, and addictive. Beyond that, they’re getting more and more expensive.
Combined, these attributes make them a triple threat, and not in a good way.
It therefore makes sense that one person needs support from all angers to help them beat such a beast.
Tasmania has a higher per capita rate of smokers than the rest of the country.
Many of our smokers are also from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Addiction is one of the most powerful forces an individual can be confronted with. The level of hold that addiction has differs from person to person.
For some, it can be more of a compulsion than an addiction. It is therefore time to start treating nicotine addiction – smoking – like the health problem that it is.
Whole of community approaches show these individuals that they are not a burden, and that they are supported on their quit journey.