“Now this is exciting!! Deakin Uni wins war on smoking
Taken from the article in the Geelong Addy by Lucie Van Den Berg Sat 21/2/15
” A radical policy to ban smoking at Deakin University and pay for staff to get hypnotherapy, quit aids and counselling has led to almost one person a day butting out. Deakin University made all four of its campuses smoke free in 2014, but it also funded support services to help people adjust to the changes.
“At the start I said even if one extra person gives up, its worth the investment but to have 600 people either reduce or give up is amazing” Professor Catherine Bennett, Deakin School of Health and Social Development said.
The policy has resulted in more than 347 students and 13 staff members butting out for good whilst 200 reduced their cigarette intake.
Overall the percentage of students and staff smoking is now estimated to be 7 and 4 percent respectively, compared with the state wide rate of 13 per cent.
One of the tools offered was hypnosis which is essentially a focusing technique to slow down peoples brain waves and when this happens people are more suggestible at the sub- conscious level. This means that they are more likely to accept the suggestions the hypnotherapist makes.”
When I hypnotise clients to quit smoking, I will make the following suggestion repeatedly “You are now a permanent non- smoker and your habit of smoking is now replaced by breathing fresh air”
The subconscious mind loves repetition and needs it to be successful and there are also post hypnotic tasks to do to further reinforce the suggestions like listen to a cd for 30 days.
By the time you call me to ask about hypnosis for quit smoking – you are 3/4 of the way there as you are prepared to trust in hypnosis for a successful outcome and the other percentage is a cooperative and collaborative agreement between yourself and me. It’s a pretty nice way to do it as all you have to do is agree to accept my suggestions 100 percent and sit back in my very comfy recliner, relax and let the change happen from smoker to permanent non-smoker.
How good a job have I got when I can help people become healthy? My background is a fitness instructor of 30 years and being older myself and still working, I know how imperative it is to stay as healthy as you can.
Frankly I don’t know how people afford to smoke anymore especially people out of work . I would like to see the government subsidise Quit Smoking programs for the unemployed who in my experience smoke copiously. Many of them smoke what is called “chop chop” which is cheap, sold illegally and contains dense volumes of fungal contamination found in samples of chop-chop that is not present in manufactured cigarettes. These fungi can cause toxic responses in the lungs, liver, kidney and skin. The illnesses may range from allergic reactions, chronic bronchitis and asthma to lung cancer or legionnaire’s disease.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/phd-pub-tobacco-chopchop-cnt.htm
I don’t judge them for smoking by the way as when you are broke and have huge barriers like mental and physical health barriers you have to have an outlet that you perceive releases stress.
Of course I would still love them to give up and do try to gently get them to reduce their smoking . As is always the case the people that can least afford health services have the worst health problems because ill health and poverty run hand in hand.
Anyhow full marks to Deakin University for this wonderful initiative. Let’s see more of it in workplaces in Victoria and reduce that 13 percent of smokers in Victoria which is still way too high.