Smoking - quitting tips

People who smoke often try to stop several times before they quit for good. Following some simple strategies and getting some support when you need it can help you to stop smoking completely.

You can get useful tips and support by:

• contacting Quitline
• talking with a health professional trained to help you quit
• using internet quitting tools.

Nicotine replacement therapy is available from pharmacists and supermarkets. Your doctor can also prescribe medication or subsidised nicotine patches to help you quit.

Wanting to quit smoking

Around 11% of Australian people smoke and about two-thirds of them say they intend to quit. About half of people who smoke try to quit each year. By 2022 to 2023, 70% of Australians who had ever smoked in their life had quit.

People who have successfully quit see their past attempts as practice and experience to learn from and build on. Some people find that going 'cold turkey' - quitting completely and immediately - is a successful method for them. However, if you haven't succeeded in stopping smoking on your own, using quitting services and medication increase the likelihood that you will quit successfully.

Benefits of quitting smoking

Quitting at any age will reduce your risk of:

• heart disease
• stroke
• cancer
• chronic bronchitis, and several other health conditions related to smoking.

The earlier you quit, the greater the health benefit.

Your health will improve in the first few months after quitting. Your heart and lungs will benefit. Blood flow to your hands and feet will increase, and your immune system will improve.

Quitting can feel stressful at first, but after withdrawal symptoms have faded, your stress levels and mood may be better than when you smoked.

People who quit smoking by the age of 30 avoid most smoking-related disease. They live, on average, 10 years longer than they would have if they had kept smoking. Even quitting at the age of 60 means that, on average, you are healthier and live a few years longer.

If you already have a smoking-related disease, quitting will improve your condition and help with your treatment, compared to someone who keeps smoking.

Deciding to quit smoking

Motivation is central to quitting smoking. First, work out the main reasons you want to stop. Take a piece of paper. On one half, write down the reasons you smoke, and on the other half, write down all the reasons to quit. Now you have a clearer idea of what you will lose and what you will gain from quitting smoking.

Circle the most important reason for you to quit. Write it down on a separate piece of paper and keep it where you can easily look at it when you need to. If you seem to have more reasons to smoke than quit, you may want to talk to someone about this, such as your doctor or a Quitline counsellor.

Barriers to quitting smoking

Many people keep smoking because they feel it helps them in some way, or they are worried quitting might be hard. Some common concerns include:

• The need for cigarettes as stress relief – there are plenty of other ways to relax that are good for your body, such as exercising and meditating.
• The fear of weight gain – the best approach is to focus on how you look and feel physically, rather than your weight. There are things you can do to help maintain your weight.
• The fear of depression – within a few months people who successfully quit smoking are less likely to have depression and generally have a better mood and quality of life. For people with a mental illness or who have had a mental illness, special support is available through your doctor and Quitline.
• The fear of withdrawal – nicotine is an addictive drug and the effects of withdrawal can be unpleasant. However, these symptoms are only temporary and using quitting medications can lessen the effects.

Tips for quitting smoking

Planning how you are going to quit can be very useful. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

What advice or help would be useful for me?

Get the help that suits you best. You can get practical advice and support from:

• Your doctor.
• Quitline counselling service (Tel. 13 7848 or the Quit website) - Quitline counsellors will help you build your motivation to quit and create a quit plan that works for you.
• Quitline also provides a free call-back service and a free Quit information pack. Find out more about Quitline and QuitMail on the Quit website.
• Other trained health professionals.
• Tell your family and friends of your intention to quit smoking and ask for their encouragement. Don’t under-estimate the value of support from family and friends.
• Use tools. There are many tools and help available for you, such as apps (you can download MyQuitBuddy from the App Store or Google Play), and tools on the Quit website, like QuitMail and Your quit smoking plan.

How do I plan to quit?

• Think about times you've tried to quit in the past. What worked well and what didn't? Consider what you can do differently this time and plan for managing triggers and 'high risk' situations.
• Decide on your strategy. For example, do you intend to go 'cold turkey,' use nicotine replacement therapy, or use internet quitting tools? Decide if you need to make an appointment with your doctor or buy your nicotine replacement therapy before you intend to quit. Also using a support service like Quitline can make a big difference.
• Write a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking and refer to this list whenever you feel tempted to light up a cigarette.
• Decide on a quit date and try to stick to it. If you miss your quit date, don’t give up: just chose another date and have another go.
• Throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays in your home and car. If your partner smokes, suggest that they stop too, or only smoke outside the house and away from you.
• Plan for situations that you know make you want to smoke.

How do I keep on track?

• Keep your reasons for quitting close by to remind yourself of why you're doing this.
• Celebrate your success throughout your quit journey. Treat yourself with the money you have saved. Your efforts deserve to be rewarded.
• Your body may get rid of caffeine more slowly than usual after quitting. It's a good idea to cut down on coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolate if you feel more affected by caffeine.
• Remember, if you do have a cigarette it doesn't mean you're back to where you started. Use this as a chance to review and reflect on your quitting strategy. Take note of what your triggers may be and plan how to avoid these in the future. After having a cigarette it is safe to keep using quitting medications, including nicotine replacement products, and to keep trying to quit.
• Make the most of your journey towards better health by eating more fruit, vegetables and wholemeal cereals, and less ultra-processed food that is high in fat and sugar (such as chips, biscuits, lollies and soft drink). Do some exercise you enjoy, such as walking or swimming.
• The Quit website has many tips to help you deal with problems with quitting as come up.

Dealing with cravings when quitting smoking

Cravings only last a few minutes. Get through them by using the 4Ds:

• Delay acting on the urge to reach for a cigarette.
• Take deep breaths.
• Drink water.
• Do something else to occupy your mind while your craving passes.

Nicotine withdrawal when quitting smoking

Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes that makes people who smoke want to keep on smoking. Withdrawal symptoms are the way your body reacts when it stops getting nicotine and all the other chemicals in tobacco smoke.

Quitting smoking 'cold turkey' means suddenly stopping smoking without help. This is a popular quitting strategy, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are so affected by withdrawal symptoms that they start smoking again.

Nicotine replacement therapy

There is a range of nicotine replacement therapies that can ease the withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking and increase your chances of success.

Nicotine replacement therapy includes:

• nicotine skin patches
• nicotine chewing gum
• nicotine lozenges
• nicotine mouth spray
• nicotine inhalator.

For many people who are dependent on nicotine, using a nicotine patch with another faster-acting nicotine medication can better their chances of quitting over using one product alone. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what would suit you.

Nicotine replacement therapy is available over the counter from pharmacists and some types are available at supermarkets. Nicotine patches are available at a reduced cost through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). See your doctor for a prescription.

Prescription drugs for quitting smoking

Your doctor can also prescribe stop smoking tablets that reduce some nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Together with counselling, these medications can increase your chances of quitting smoking. They are available on the PBS. They must be prescribed by your doctor as they are not suitable for everyone and can trigger strong side effects in a small number of people.

It is important that you read all of the Consumer Medicine Information that comes with the medications and talk to your doctor if any symptoms worry you. This information is printed for you at the pharmacy when the prescription is being filled.

E-cigarettes and vaping

An e-cigarette (vape) is a battery-powered device that heats a liquid (called ‘e-liquid’) to produce a chemical vapour, which the user inhales into their lungs. This is known as vaping. The ingredients in e-liquids vary, but they typically contain a range of chemicals including solvents and flavouring agents and may or may not contain nicotine.

Vapes have health risks and if they contain nicotine, they may be addictive.

If you are thinking about using a vape to quit smoking, it is important that you speak to your doctor or pharmacist about all your options to quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy and prescribed stop smoking tablets do not have the same health risks as vapes.

Vaping products can only be supplied by pharmacies in Australia. Until 1 October 2024, some doctors and nurse practitioners may prescribe vaping products if they are suitable for you. After this date, most people will be able to buy vaping products from a pharmacy without a prescription, except in some cases. Unlike medications for stopping smoking, vaping products are 'unapproved' goods. This means the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has not assessed any vaping product for quality, safety or whether it is helpful for people trying to quit.

Quitline counsellors can support people who are using vapes to stop smoking and can also support people who are trying to stop vaping.

Vapes must be kept out of reach of young children as they have caused many cases of nicotine poisoning, including the death of a toddler in Victoria.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Your pharmacist
• Quitline Tel. 13 7848 or the Quit website