For Saimone Lolohea, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t the cigarettes themselves – it’s the smell.
It was everywhere.
In the house.
In the car.
Around the family.
“It was expensive and it was a waste of time,” he says.
Saimone lives in Henderson, West Auckland, and is originally from Tonga. Smoking has been part of his life since high school, when he picked it up from classmates back in 1984.
“I got to smoking from my classmates and stuck with it.”
Over the years, he tried to quit more than once. At one point, he stopped for two years – but like many people, found himself picking it back up again.
“I always wanted to quit smoking. I’ve been attempting a few times, and it never happened.”
Now, things feel different.
With more awareness, more support, and more people speaking openly about the harm, he says it’s become harder to ignore.
“With more people coming out to tell us that smoking is bad, and also giving us the tools, it gives us more reason to stop.”
For Saimone, the shift has been both personal and visible.
“The smell of smoke – people hate it,” he says.
“You can see them facing away when you smoke beside them.”
But the biggest changes have been at home.
“More money goes to food now. The house smells nice.”
Those everyday changes – the budget, the environment, the feeling inside the home – have made a real difference for his whānau.
Support has also played a big role in his journey.
Saimone has been connected with The Fono for years, first through his local men’s group.
“They came to us about 10 years ago. We knew it was a good program.”
Now, that connection has strengthened. His group meets every weekend, and through those gatherings, they’ve reconnected with The Fono to support their Smokefree journeys together.
“They’ve helped our men’s group with quitting smoking. We intend on keeping that connection because we know it helps the community.”
Part of that support includes practical tools – like carbon monoxide breath testing, which shows the impact smoking is having on the body.
“That makes a lot of people think twice,” he says.
For Saimone, addiction has always been the hardest part.
“The addiction is the bad thing. If there was no addiction, you wouldn’t smoke.”
But on the other side of that, there’s something better.
“Smokefree means to me that I have more money in my pocket. I don’t smell like smoke like before. The house smells nice now.”
And with that comes more energy, not just for himself, but for others.
“It’s good for my health. I have more energy to help other people with good health.”
His advice for others thinking about quitting is simple:
“Get The Fono to talk to you. They have good advice and real examples. They’ll tell you what’s not good about smoking and give you reasons why you should quit.”
For Saimone, it’s not about getting it perfect the first time.
It’s about trying again – with the right support around you.