TĀMAKI MAKAURAU | AUCKLAND
Three great reasons to stop smoking
Published: July 23, 2025
Life without smoking isn’t just about quitting, it’s about gaining health, happiness and financial freedom. Our journey working with our tāngata whai ora can be challenging yet very rewarding.
Our Hamlin residential services’ team have been working closely with our tāngata whai ora to help reduce their smoking. This involves identifying triggers, finding alternatives e.g. nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), staying active, and celebrating milestones.
Long term benefits are discussed, including more energy (healthier lungs), healthier skin and appearances, better breathing, longevity (live to spend more time with whānau) and more money in your pocket. Our kaimahi never give up and continue to help our tāngata whai ora.
Each of the journeys to quit smoking takes a different path – whether it’s exercise, whānau motivation, financial incentives and/or kaimahi support. The sheer determination and hope that our kaimahi hold onto throughout the process makes all the difference.
Being able to achieve this with our tāngata whai ora is one of the best gifts we can give to them and their whānau. The benefits only get better with time.
Success stories from three of our tāngata whai ora:
Saving health
Carlyle is a 52-year-old who had been smoking since he was a teenager. We’d been working with Carlyle for 5 years to help him reduce his smoking and try alternative approaches. This included a lot of daily prompts and encouragements to quit smoking and try alternatives, including discussions about the side-effects of smoking and the benefits of being smoke free.
We continued with the hope that we’d get him onboard one day, and we did! To stay determined, Carlyle’s whanau was also onboard and continued
with encouragements of how much he would be saving.
“I’m so proud of Carlyle. Imagine all the money you’re saving. Keep up with the good work! You can definitely treat yourself to that stereo.”
– Carlyle’s brother
Carlyle with his new stereo purchased with money saved.
Saving money
Bill, a 65-year-old, had been smoking a packet of cigarettes a day for over 40 years. Bill was determined to turn his life around. He was supported to quit cold turkey and started to focus on his health and saving money.
A lot of support was provided, with the use of NRT, support from kaimahi and from his whānau. Knowing how proud his sisters were of him helped to keep him motivated. Bill has now been smokefree for over a year and is grateful he has enough money to spend on the treats he enjoys.
“It’s unbelievable. I’ve known him for so long and this is incredible.”
– Bill’s Needs Assessment Service Co-ordinator
“We’re so proud of him and never thought he could get there. Thank you! This takes away some financial pressure as his cigarettes were taking a toll on his expenses all the time. It’s incredible to believe that he had been smoking every 5-10 mins and doesn’t do it anymore”.
— Bill’s sister
Whānau motivation
Tevita is a 42-year-old who had been smoking for as long as he could remember. He’d tried to quit multiple times and always relapsed. Watching his peers on their journey to quit smoking and consistent encouragement from kaimahi finally worked for him. Tevita’s strengths were used in discussions with him around not only saving money but also making his whanau proud.
“I never thought my brother would achieve this! We’ve been trying so hard to get him to be smoke free.”
— Tevita’s sister
— This story was first featured in Harikoa magazine (issue 1, 2025).
