The head of the national stop smoking service Quitline says having the Governor General as its inaugural patron means its campaigns should get plenty of attention.
Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae has accepted the invitation to the role and says he's looking forward to working with the Quitline Group, which has a vision of a smokefree Aotearoa.
Paula Snowden says Sir Jerry is a humble man with a lot of mana and will be a positive influence, and when he says things people listen.
She says he adds credibility and will help to get the message out that quitting smoking actually works.
Ms Snowden says when you have a patron who has a reputation like Sir Jerry Mateparae anything he says will get attention.
She says because of his former position as the head of the New Zealand Defence Force he has the leadership skills to get the best out of people.
