Smokefree Nurses Aotearoa/New Zealand (SNANZ) is applauding the government's move in announcing three consecutive hikes in tobacco taxes and says it has nurses ready to help smokers quit.

"We are delighted parliament has passed legislation to increase tobacco tax," says SNANZ director Grace Wong.

"Smokefree Nurses Aotearoa/New Zealand strongly supports this move but also recognises that smokers will now be under some financial pressure to quit and nurses around New Zealand will be on hand to help."

A senior lecturer in nursing at AUT University, Wong says work from SNANZ, the Ministry of Health and the National Heart Foundation has resulted in a trained workforce of 8000 nurses that can assist smokers to quit in the wake of the hike in tobacco taxes.

More than 4500 nurses have undergone face-to-face smoking cessation training over the past five years and in the last nine months a further 3500 have undertaken the training online.

"The scope of nursing practice combined with their reach in the community means nurses are uniquely positioned to help educate and empower smokers to give up the habit," says Wong.

"If each of these trained nurses gives the 30-second, evidence-based brief advice to just one smoker a day, she can help six smokers to quit a year. This would have a dramatic impact on smoking rates in New Zealand."

"The steps involved really are as simple as nurses asking their patients whether they smoke, giving brief advice to smokers and then providing cessation support."

Currently Ministry of Health figures put the number of smoking-related deaths in New Zealand at around 5000 each year.

SNANZ is also encouraging all nurses that have not yet undergone the training to complete the short online smoking cessation course.

"If nurses have not already completed their training in delivering smoking cessation interventions then we would encourage them to go to www.smokingcessationabc.org.nz."

"After 40 minutes they will have the necessary information to assist smokers to quit and can become a Quit Card provider. The local DHB Smokefree Coordinator will be able to assist nurses with this process."

SNANZ is based at AUT University and recently secured two years' funding from the Ministry of Health which has included "better help for smokers to quit" in its 2009/2010 health targets.

The Ministry of Health target is aiming for 80 percent of hospitalised smokers to be provided with advice and help to quit by July 2010; 90 percent by July 2011; and 95 percent by July 2012. A similar target for primary care will be introduced from July 2010 or earlier, through the PHO Performance Programme.

Ultimately SNANZ hopes to see the smoking cessation interventions become a standard part of nursing practice.

"The long-term goal of SNANZ is to decrease death and disease caused by smoking in New Zealand - nurses can tip the balance to make tobacco smoking history."