Quit services to help you stop smoking are available from a diverse range of organisations and in a number of community languages. Australia has a very large population of people from non-English speaking and culturally diverse backgrounds. Some of these communities have smoking rates that are much higher than the national average.
Tobacco smoking is one of the most common causes of ill health and premature death in Australia. Almost 15,000 Australians die from smoking-related diseases each year.Multilingual and culturally appropriate help to stop smoking is available through doctors, health centres, pharmacists, community centres, ethnic organisations and Quit Victoria.
Smoking in different cultures
In Victoria, around 26 per cent of the population speaks a language other than English at home. The 2011–12 Australian Health Survey found that around 19 per cent of people born in Australia smoked tobacco. Smoking rates were higher for people born in the Pacific, North Africa and the Middle East, and lower for those born in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Asia.
Smoking rates that combine both men and women can disguise the fact that, for many countries of origin, the smoking rates of men are very high and the female smoking rates are quite low.
Resources and services to stop smoking
Services that Quit Victoria offers to culturally diverse communities include:
- Quitline telephone interpreter service – Quitline is a friendly and non-judgemental telephone information and advice service that helps people stop smoking. People who speak a language other than English can use the interpreter service to talk to a Quit Specialist. Callers can contact Quitline on 13 78 48 and ask for this service or agencies can refer clients using the online and fax referral forms available through the Quit website.
- Working with ethnic media – Quit Victoria has bilingual facilitators and community champions that work with ethnic media including radio, newspapers, ethnic publications and community television to promote its message and provide information on stopping smoking in a variety of community languages.
- Intervention training for community workers – Quit Victoria offers brief intervention training for staff who want to encourage their clients or communities to quit smoking. The one day Quit Educator training shows workers how to help and support smokers to quit.
Visit Quit or call 13 78 48 for more information.
Where to get help
- Quitline Tel. 13 78 48 (13 QUIT)
- Your GP
- Pharmacy
- Community Health Services
- Ethnic organisations
Content Partner
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Quit
Last updated:
April 2018
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