About Sue
“Quitting smoking and vaping is not merely a matter of breaking a habit.”
Sue Freeman, an experienced nurse since the 1970s, advocates Nursing Theory for patient-centered smoking cessation. Her program, ‘The Smokefree System: Taking Back Control,’ has earned endorsements from the College of Nurses Aotearoa NZ and The National Heart Foundation.
Sue has successfully helped individuals liberate themselves from nicotine addiction as a Smoking Cessation Consultant and Registered Nurse through her program.She has also established and then trained health professionals in the use of the ABCs of smoking cessation, a system that, according to Sue, doesn’t go far enough to help smokers when society and health professionals have been influenced by messaging that it’s the smokers’ fault if they don’t quit.
Sue’s approach offers a more comprehensive solution to empower individuals in their journey toward a smokefree life.
Sue’s Journey
Sue’s life has been a journey of resilience amidst adversity. From early hardships, including abuse, trauma, and illness, to a serious head injury during her youth, she faced numerous challenges. Despite a turbulent marriage and personal struggles, Sue never gave up on her dreams. With determination, she became a Registered Nurse after a corneal transplant, but a frontal lobe brain injury tested her resolve.
Undeterred, she continued her education with disability services’ support. This life-altering event led her to focus on smoking cessation and tobacco control, driven by her personal and professional encounters with smoking-related issues. As a Nurse Educator, she channeled her passion into “The Smokefree System: Taking Back Control,” aiming to hold the tobacco industry accountable for the harm it inflicts on its customers.