Open today 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Prior to a hospital admission for surgery, investigations or treatment it would be advisable to stop smoking for at least 2 weeks to prevent post-operative or treatment complications. Smoke inhalation inhibits lung function, facilitates blood clotting, reduces oxygen supply to vital organs and impacts negatively on a healthy immune system.

Quitting smoking prior to surgery can prevent complications that can happen post surgery such as lung or wound infections. Carbon monoxide is contained in inhaled cigarette smoke and causes the red cells in your blood to clot. Blood clotting as a result of smoking is what causes strokes and heart attacks to occur. As soon as carbon monoxide is removed from the blood stream by not inhaling smoke then the level of oxygen available in the body for healing increases.

There are a number of agencies in the ADHB catchment area ready and willing to support you in pre-admission quitting. They are listed in the next section of this page. 

Waitemata DHB
If you live in West or North Auckland region you can obtain all information about Smokefree in your area here.
 

Open today 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

• Smokefree Contractors/ NGOs

  Regional Support for Smokefree Issues
  By far the most comprehensive local support for Auckland employers wishing to establish a Smokefree compliant workplace, both physically and in its documentation, is to ask for help from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.… More

• Smoking Cessation

  Managing Nicotine Withdrawal
  The tobacco leaf contains nicotine. Nicotine is found in all plants of the "nightshade" family - tomatoes, chillies, eggplant, peppers, potatoes and berries - as well as tobacco.… More

• Quitline

  Quitline provides a free telephone advice service (0800 778 778), text service (www.txt2quit.org.nz) and a Quitter Blog support group at www.quit.org.nz.… More

• General Practitioner

  Your GP can also prescribe NRT at the subsidised rate of $5.00 per item for 8 weeks supply (NRT -  Nicotine Replacement Therapy).… More

• Stop Smoking Service ADHB & WDHB

  Ready, Steady, Quit is the community stop smoking service funded by the Ministry of Health and provided by a local PHO.… More

• Aotea Health - Great Barrier Island

  Face-to-face counselling and telephone support available. There are 3 nurses available at the centre at any one time plus a GP.… More

Hospitals and cancer treatment centres

• Smoking cessation

Brain and Spinal, Head and Neck / Thyroid, Lung, Breast, Upper Gastrointestinal (Oesophagus / Stomach / Liver), Lower Gastrointestinal (Bowel / Rectum / Anus), Kidney, Bladder, Testicular, Prostate, Gynaecological, Leukaemia and Blood, Skin Cancer / Melanoma, Sarcoma, Others

• Stop Before the Op (PDF, 1.9 MB)
  Stopping smoking before any surgery is the best step you can take to ensure your postoperative recovery is the best possible. Please read the brochure.
• Quit B4 it's Lit (PDF, 1.3 MB)
  General pamphlet to give the person an understanding of the processes necessary to be put in place for a successful quit attempt.