Rotorua's Biddy Nelson has stubbed out what she hopes will be her last cigarette saying she wants to live long enough to see her kids grow up.
Mrs Nelson is one of those trying to kick the smoking habit and has been smoke-free for the past week after smoking on and off for the past 18 years.
Now 36 years old, Mrs Nelson said her motivation to give up was a number of things, price being one of them, but more importantly, her six children.
Cigarette prices have gone up after a 10 per cent tax increase rolled into effect on January 1.
Mrs Nelson said she smoked about a packet every day and a half, "but it's going really good and I'm feeling fine".
"I think my lungs are getting a bit of a clean-out."
Eleven weeks ago she gave birth to twins and thought it was time to give up.
"I want to be around when they grow up."
She said one of her triggers was her routine "coffee and a smoke" but, in preparation for her attempt to give up smoking she quit coffee three months ago.
"I'm just taking one day at a time, it used to be a coffee and a smoke, now the coffee's gone it's good.
"I'm keeping busy with the kids at home and I'm starting my exercise programme tomorrow for a positive outlet."
She said her brand of cigarettes now cost $23 a packet after the tax on tobacco products went up another 10 per cent on January 1.
"I'm probably going to save about $4000 to $5000 a year and I'm really looking forward to my new life smoke free.
"It's really just a mind-set thing, but I've got patches I use to help, they were given to me by Korowai Aroha when they were running their non-smoking project a while back."
A Quitline representative said it had been a very busy start to 2017.
"We are a 24/7 service and we did get a lot of new sign-ups after the new year," the spokeswoman said.
"People also struggle with relapse and are wanting to restart their programmes as it can be a quite stressful period for people."
She said pricing had been a major factor in many people wanting to kick the habit.
"A lot of people calling us have said the price has been a motivating factor and on the financial side of things the cost does stack up.
"But a lot of people do say the pricing tactics do hit poorer people a lot harder," she said.
Quitline experiences its busiest time of year around January and February, with call volumes often increasing by 50 per cent.
Tobacco advocacy service Hapai Te Hauora general manager Zoe Hawke said in the past four years of 10 per cent tobacco tax increases, studies have shown New Zealand smokers were price sensitive and according to one study, for every annual 10 per cent increase in tax there was a 1 per cent reduction in the number of people smoking.
But she said there was evidence to suggest that many low-income families continue to purchase tobacco and would compensate by cutting back on essentials such as bread, milk or electricity.
"Having support strategies in place such as knowing where your local stop-smoking treatment service is and what the number for Quitline is can assist people in their quitting journey."
Quitline can be contacted by calling 0800 778 778, or online at www.quit.org.nz.