Quit smokes and vapes

Quitting smoking:

• Improves your health and reduces the risk of illness
• Improves your quality of life and wellbeing
• Saves you money
• Sets a good example for your kids, family and wider community.

In recent years there has been an increase in the amount of people vaping, particularly among young people.

The National Health and Medical Research Council advises that vapes may expose people to harmful chemicals and toxins. A lot of people that try to quit smoking through vaping end up using both cigarettes and vapes together, which is very bad for you.

When you quit smoking, you give your body the chance to repair. There are many benefits – they start almost immediately.

*Compared to someone who smokes

Aboriginal Quitline – 13 78 48

• Aboriginal counsellors provide tailored advice to Aboriginal callers and an Aboriginal coordinator who is available to talk to community groups.

Koori Quitline Facebook page 

• To get inspiration and motivation to quit and stay quit.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)

• Your Aboriginal Medical Service can help you get quit medications and may also offer quit smoking groups.

Tackling Indigenous Smoking

• A website that has a range of resources and information for Aboriginal people who want to quit smoking.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy and stop smoking medications

• Aboriginal people can access free NRT (patches, gum, lozenges), and quit smoking medications through the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment program.
• Aboriginal people can access subsidised NRT patches, gum, and lozenges via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

That’s OK.

It’s up to you to decide if and when you want to quit. But even if you don’t want to quit right now, you can make sure that your smoking doesn’t make others sick by:

• Smoking outside – When other people breathe in the smoke from your cigarette it can harm their health.
• Not smoking around babies, children or older people – Babies, children and older people who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to have inflammation of the airways, and are more likely to develop allergies and lung infections.
• Making your home and car smoke free – Smoke becomes concentrated in a confined space.
• Supporting your family and friends when they are trying to give up – You may not want to stop but your support for others could really help them quit.
• Not smoking at all if you are pregnant – Avoid smoking around people who are pregnant and do not smoke if you are pregnant yourself.