A free quit smoking service based in Auckland, providing for whanau from Wellsford to Manukau, is taking a new tack to get wāhine hapu to give up by offering them incentives.
"We try to get into the homes of the whānau because most of our clients are not the only smokers in their home," Ready Steady Quit operations manager Mihi Blair says.
During the lockdown, the organisation ran an initiative that encouraged whanau to smoke kai and not cigarettes.
Now, it is turning its focus to wāhine hapu with Pēpē Packs, which contain vital information about key services and a road map of what to expect while they are hapu.
“We want to make sure the women and their babies have the best start to their life," she says.
Blair and her team are providing packs for pregnant clients at their eight-week check-in as part of their incentives.
“We provide up to $350 of vouchers if they are with us for 14 weeks and, if a whanau member in their household quits smoking, then they get $200 as well," she says.