Taming the taniwha to go smokefree

Te Aroha Hunt from the smokefree team at the Hawke's Bay DHB.

Becoming smokefree just become a whole lot more attractive with a resort stay up for grabs to the winning team.

Getting whānau smokefree is at the heart of the Tame Your Taniwha challenge designed to be done in teams of three over eight weeks.

It's incentivised with the top prize for each member of the winning team to get a weekend stay for two at the Wairakei Resort in Taupo with meals included in the package deal.

"This is a first, to have teams of three which makes it more manageable and then the whānau can manage themselves. So it's in their hands to take charge of their health," says Te Aroha Hunt.

Hunt is part of the smokefree team at the Hawke's Bay District Health Board and encourages everyone and anyone to give it a go if they want to give up smoking.

"Everything is free and then we'll link them to a practitioner who will go and see them at the weekly checkpoints at home or at work through our mobile service.

"We also give them nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which is patches, gum and lozenges, which is a monthly supply, and the practitioner will monitor their progress and make sure they are using it properly."

Employers are able to jump on board as well to help encourage their employees to give up smoking.

Hunt says second-hand and third-hand smoke are a hidden danger that sometimes people might not always be aware of.

"Third-hand smoke is when the smoke smell remains in your clothes and your baby hops on you and the baby is breathing it in.

"They can still breathe in the chemicals, it doesn't hit them for long but over longer periods of time it can cause damage - inside the car is the main one."

The most recent census stats show that one in five people living in Hawke's Bay were regular smokers, putting Hawke's Bay above the national average.

Māori smoking rates are double that of non-Māori and non-Pacific with Māori women aged between 20-29 having the highest smoking rate of all groups.

There are other prizes up for grabs like $40 petrol vouchers and weekly spot prizes that will be drawn throughout the challenge.

Registrations opened on Monday, September 4 and the challenge itself will begin on Monday, October 2, ending on November 30.

Each team must complete a Tame Your Taniwha registration form by 5pm on Wednesday, September 27.

Details on how to enter can be found at ourhealthhb.nz or 0800 300 377 and is only available to those aged 18 years and over.