Success Tastes Sweet

May 2010

A simple glass of water has never tasted so sweet to Mangatangi woman Jean Cooper.

The 62-year-old has recently kicked a 40 year smoking addiction. For the first time in a long time she is enjoying drinking water as her taste buds recover from her near lifelong habit.

“I enjoy drinking water now that I didn’t before. Geez, that’s shocking,” she says.

She has been motivated along the way by her cousin, 52-year-old Tamara Taka-Jones, who became smokefree at the end of 2008 after smoking for more than 30 years.

The women are speaking out ahead of World Smokefree Day on Monday in the hope that their stories will inspire some of the approximately 82,000 people who smoke in Counties Manukau to become smokefree. Around 5000 New Zealanders die each year as a result of tobacco.

Both Mrs Cooper and Ms Taka-Jones started smoking regularly in their twenties when they say it was cool to be seen with a cigarette. Smoking soon became routine, especially at parties and family gatherings, and the women would often smoke when they were together.

But they also recall the pitfalls of their addictions. Mrs Cooper cringes when she remembers combing through ashtrays looking for half-finished cigarettes to relight while Ms Taka-Jones says smoking simply controlled her life.

“I couldn’t move unless I made sure I had my cigarettes. That came first before anything else in my day or life. It became too controlling,” she says.

They sought help for their addictions through Quitline and the Mangatangi marae, receiving Nicotine Replacement Therapy patches and gum to control their cravings. But the biggest battle, they say, was with their own thoughts.

“I knew if I didn’t get it right in my head then I would fail,” Ms Taka-Jones says.

Now the cousins are enjoying their smokefree lifestyles and say they look healthier, feel better physically and have extra money that once would have been spent on cigarettes.

“I’ve got all these beautiful clothes and I can go to the hair salon and buy shoes,” Ms Taka-Jones quips.

Ingrid Minett, who leads the Smokefree Programme at the Counties Manukau District Health Board, says being smokefree has immeasurable benefits.

“Jean and Tamara’s success stories are truly inspiring. They have added years to their lives which they will be able to enjoy with their families and loved ones. We encourage everyone who smokes to do the same and give quitting a go this World Smokefree Day.”

The Mangatangi cousins both admit stopping smoking is hard. Since quitting in April, Mrs Cooper has had cravings which have challenged her resolve while Ms Taka-Jones says weight gain can be problematic.

But when asked if they would trade their newfound energy, health and positive attitudes for a cigarette and the associated side effects, they are adamant.

“I don’t want any more of that,” Mrs Cooper says. “I don’t want to let myself down, not for the sake of a cigarette. Not even a puff.”

• Nicotine replacement products, which can double your chances of quitting, can be purchased for just $3 for eight weeks with either a doctor’s prescription or a quit card. For more information and advice, contact your family doctor or nurse, call Quitline on 0800 778 778 or visit www.quit.org.nz.