Smoking Cessation Education Increases Interventions in a New Zealand Hospital: World No Tobacco Day Revisited

Aim: To review the impact of educational and other measures on smoking cessation interventions delivered in a New Zealand hospital setting.

Methods: The usage of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for inpatients was assessed by data gathered from the hospital pharmacy for a period before and after these educational measures.

Results: Quarterly teaching sessions for house surgeons, monthly Effective Brief Intervention sessions for clinical staff and quarterly respiratory nurse training were delivered based on The New Zealand Guidelines for Smoking Cessation. In addition the Hutt Valley District Health Board (HVDHB) Smokefree Policy was revised from a business model to a treatment model. Over the 18 months after the educational initiatives were commenced the numbers of NRT units used in Hutt Hospital rose from a baseline of 768 to 3712--a fourfold increase.

Conclusion: The increase in NRT usage could be attributed to educative measures put in place. There is an opportunity for similar smoking cessation interventions to exist New Zealand wide; this could have a significant impact on reducing chronic disease.