Help to quit smoking
- Thinking about quitting and want to know how to get started?
- Ready to quit but want some extra support?
- Stopped smoking and want help to deal with cravings?
- Where can I go for more information and support to help me quit smoking?
Thinking about quitting and want to know how to get started?
Congratulations - you’ve made the first step to quit smoking.
If you’re not 100% sure about quitting or are worried about how you might cope without cigarettes, don’t let this put you off. There is lots of help available. If you’ve tried quitting before, try and remember what worked and what didn’t work last time and learn from it. Think of each quit attempt as a practice, not a failure. The most important thing is to keep trying.
Understand your smoking addiction
When planning your quit attempt it's important to understand when and why you smoke. This will help you deal with the cravings you might get while you are quitting.
Nicotine addiction
Nicotine is the addictive drug in cigarettes that affects the chemicals in your brain. When you first start smoking you may feel good for a moment or two but after you’ve been smoking for a while your body gets used to nicotine and will rely on it to feel normal.
Do you have any of these signs of nicotine addiction?
- You smoke your first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up
- You smoke more than ten cigarettes per day
- You have cravings and withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit
For more information use Quit Victoria’s nicotine addiction test to find out more about your smoking addiction.
Know why you smoke
Some of the most common reasons why people smoke are:
- Addiction – to satisfy the craving for nicotine or a cigarette
- Emotions – feeling stressed, upset, angry, frustrated, bored or happy
- Pleasure – to reward yourself with something you enjoy
- Social pressure – to feel part of the crowd or help you bond with other smokers
- Habit – associate smoking with particular activities, places or people
- Time out – to give yourself a break and have time to yourself
Plan ways to deal with quitting
People quit smoking in many different ways. Many people can quit without help, while others need help. What works for some doesn’t always work for others. Quite often it can be a mixture of different strategies that will help you quit successfully. It's important to remember when quitting that there is help available if you feel you need some extra support. Getting help is not a sign of weakness or lack of willpower. For some people it’s the smart way to quit.
Help can come in different forms:
- Call the Quitline on 13 7848 (13 QUIT)
- Go online and use QuitCoach (an online support service maintained by Quit Victoria)
- Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about quitting products or medications
- Get help from friends and family
For more information on what help is available go to the ways to quit section.
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Set a quit date
Choosing a quit date can help you stop smoking.
Choose an easy day to stop, like a day when you’re not under much pressure but still have enough going on to occupy yourself. Make the date no more than two weeks away so you won’t lose motivation. You might also find it useful to practice quitting. Set yourself some smaller goals to see how you would go. Try quitting for only one day or don’t smoke at times when you normally would. You will learn a lot from giving it a go.
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Ready to quit but want some extra support?
Not everyone quits smoking the same way. You need to find out what quitting method is best for you. Once you do you’ll feel more in control of your quitting attempt. When quitting some people find it useful to ask for help while others prefer to do it on their own.
Ways to quit
- Unassisted quitting or ‘cold turkey’ - means quitting smoking suddenly without using medications and professional support. This can be unsafe for people on certain medications, please consult your doctor beforehand.
- Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) - contain small amounts of nicotine that are designed to help people quit smoking. They come in the form of patches, gum, lozenges, tablets or inhalers. These can be used on their own or in combination. NRT are designed to reduce withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, irritability, mood swings or anxiety but will not stop them completely. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist to find out if NRT is an option for you. As of the 1 February 2011 NRT patches are now cheaper. A prescription is needed so ask your doctor for more information.
- Prescription medications – both Bupropion (Zyban) and Varenicline (Champix) can help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor to find out if these medications will work for you. Both these medications are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) list and can be bought at a relatively low cost. Ask your doctor for more information.
- Quit smoking course – the Fresh Start course is for smokers who want to kick the habit but think they may need some extra support. The course comprises of 8 sessions which are run over four weeks. Each session is run by a trained group leader and covers strategies to assist you overcome your smoking addiction. Fresh Start is not just about telling you to quit, it looks at why you smoke in the first place and helps you develop strategies to reach your goal of becoming a non-smoker.
Find the closest Fresh Start course in your community by calling the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 or email Fresh Start.
- Call the Quitline (13 7848) – a free, confidential telephone service available to smokers who want help to quit. You can access this service by calling 13 7848 (13 QUIT) from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (normal charges apply for mobile phones). In Western Australia the Quitline is answered 24 hours, 7 days a week. Quitline is staffed by professionally trained counsellors who are available to listen, provide you with information and help tailor a quitting program to suit your needs. As part of your program, the Quitline can offer a free call-back service, allowing you to make up to 6 appointments with a counsellor at a time that suits you best. If you don’t want to talk to anyone but would like to find out more about quitting smoking you can still call the Quitline on 13 7848 and order a free Quit Kit. The Quitline also offers options for people to speak to a counsellor in languages other than English and they provide quit smoking resources in other languages as well.
For more information call the Quitline on 13 7848 (13 QUIT) and get some advice on quitting and strategies to help you get past those cravings.
Stopped smoking and want help to deal with cravings?
Don’t feel bad if you’ve had a set back and find yourself smoking again. Many people make several attempts before they quit smoking for good. The most important thing to do is to learn from each quit attempt and try again when you’re ready.
Often people start smoking again when they tell themselves, “Just one will be ok, you deserve it”. Just one cigarette is enough to hook you into smoking again full time. Quitting means resisting the urge to smoke, even one cigarette. Remember how far you’ve come. Every time you get through a craving the next one gets weaker and you get stronger.
When you start craving a cigarette you may find it useful to develop some coping strategies to help you manage these situations. For example, if you often smoke when you go out with friends why not arrange to catch up at smoke-free venues such as shopping centres, the movies or restaurants. You could also ask a friend who doesn’t smoke to be your quitting buddy. They could distract you from smoking and remind you of how far you’ve come.
When you first quit smoking it may be useful to write down all the reasons why you want to quit. Then look at the list every time you have a craving to remind yourself of why you don’t want to smoke. Focus on the future not on the past.
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Where can I go for more information and support to help me quit smoking?
- Call the Quitline on 13 7848 (13 QUIT) and talk to one of their trained counsellors or order a free Quit Kit.
- Read the Quitting in a Group is Easier (pdf 617kb) brochure for more information about the Fresh Start course.
- Seek advice and support from your GP, Aboriginal Health Worker or pharmacist.
- Search for more information on the following useful websites:
- Quit Victoria - the website of Quit Victoria
- I Can Quit - an online support service developed by Cancer Institute NSW
- Quit Now - the website for the National Tobacco Campaign
- QuitCoach - an online support service developed in collaboration by a wide range of experts in smoking cessation and maintained by Quit Victoria
- Quit Because You Can - an online support service developed in collaboration by representatives from Australian States and Territories and maintained by Quit Victoria
