Price Hike Pushes Smoker to Quit

Source from:  stuff.co.nz 01/12/2015

An increase in the price of tobacco was the "nail in the coffin" for a Blenheim man who has decided to give up smoking once and for all.

Brodie Logan has tried multiple times in the past to give up smoking, but has been unsuccessful, lasting a maximum of about eight weeks smoke-free.

This year, Logan has invested in Champix, a prescription medication used to treat nicotine addiction, following recommendations by friends who have had success with it.

"I was probably ready [to give up] sort of in November but coming up to the Christmas sort of party season I would only set myself up to fail so after New Year I decided to have a good crack," he said. After only a few days taking the medication twice a day, Logan had already noticed he was craving cigarettes less.

"[With Champix] you're supposed to be smoking for the first week or two weeks but I sort of only did for the first couple of days . . . it's working already."

Champix didn't come cheap, costing about $90 for 28 tablets, but it would be worth the savings he would make on cigarettes, Logan said.

Having been a fulltime smoker for five years, Logan was smoking 10 to 12 cigarettes a day, spending about twice as much on cigarettes as he was on Champix.

As of New Year's Day, a 10 per cent tobacco excise came into effect in New Zealand, increasing the cost of most cigarette brands, some by up to 21 per cent.

The tax increase added an extra $3 to the price of the cigarettes Logan was buying.

It was recommended people take Champix for about three months, but most people he had spoken to had managed to stop after six weeks, and remain smokefree, he said.

While the ever-increasing price led to his final decision to quit, Logan's main priority was looking after his health.

"[It causes] earlier death, ages your skin, and the smell, other people don't like it, it's time for it to go."

Eighteen people in Marlborough signed up to quit smoking with the help of Quitline during the first week of January. Enditem