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Homeless man

Benefits of Quitting 

Australian research shows that 59-70% of people, regardless of their circumstances, want to reduce and/or quit smoking.

“I don't want to be one of these parents that are at a sporting event and I've got to walk outside the oval to have a cigarette and miss out on watching my kids play sport.” - Male who smokes accessing a homelessness service in regional Western Australia

Quitting tobacco can increase a person’s capacity to overcome obstacles across all areas of their lives.

Quitting smoking reduces financial stress by:

  • Saving a pack-a-day smoker over $12,000 a year
  • Helping people save money previously spent on medical bills and medications from smoking-related illnesses
  • Giving people on casual contracts more take-home pay, because non-smokers are less likely to get sick and take days off.

“The price dissuades me – $90 a week is half my disposable income gone. Which is unfair on us. We don't know how we're going to live.” - Male client who smokers accessing a mental health service in Perth

Quitting smoking improves mental health by:

  • Significantly reducing depression, anxiety and stress
  • Improving mood and psychological quality of life
  • Reducing the risk of developing a psychotic illness
  • Resulting in fewer hospitalisations after treatment in an acute psychiatric wards
  • Improving self-esteem by creating a feeling of achievement and being in control
  • Reducing the amount of medication a person needs.

“I felt like I was stressed before but I now realise it was the cigarettes making me stressed. I feel a lot more relaxed and calm, and not as agitated anymore. That’s a big bonus and will help with my recovery.” – Male resident who used to smoke accessing an AOD service in Perth

Quitting smoking improves AOD recovery by:

  • Improving people’s long term AOD recovery upon leaving treatment by up to 25%.

“I’ve given up drugs before, lots of times. I’ve been an addict for 28 years but I have never given up without cigarettes, so this time I need to. Quitting smoking is the only way to go.” – Female resident who used to smoke accessing an AOD service in Perth

Quitting smoking improves physical health by:

  • Increasing life expectancy by up to 10 years
  • Allowing the body the opportunity to repair itself
  • Reducing the risk of developing any of the 16 different types of cancer related to smoking
  • Reducing the likelihood of a person being hospitalised due to smoking-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke
  • Improving a person’s oral health, including whiter teeth and better breath
  • Reducing a person’s risk of developing respiratory diseases, including asthma and COPD
  • Improving fitness
  • Improving wound healing and reducing the likelihood of developing an infection
  • Improving a person’s immune system, which means they are less likely to get a cold, flu or pneumonia.

“It’s been really good. I haven’t been sick in the whole seven months I have been in here. I haven’t had a chest infection; I’ve just been really healthy. It has been a huge change. I used to get really bad chest infections and was drowsy all the time from smoking, but I don’t get that effect anymore.” – Male resident who used to smoke accessing an AOD service in Perth

Quitting smoking improves the health of families by:

  • Reducing the risk of children taking up smoking
  • Reducing the likelihood of children being exposed to second-hand smoke, and therefore being affected by respiratory diseases like asthma and infections
  • Reducing the risk that a pregnant woman will have a premature birth, foetal growth and development problems, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and post-birth problems with lung function
  • Allowing people the opportunity to participate in more family events because you won’t need to walk away to have a smoke.

“Yeah, well [I would quit for], my grandson because I want to lead by example and he's only one year and a couple of months old. I just want to give up everything.” - Female resident accessing an AOD service in Perth

Quitting smoking improves social circumstances by:

  • Allowing people the opportunity to socialise anywhere – not just where smoking is allowed
  • Reducing people’s vulnerability to standover tactics and harassment for cigarettes
  • Improving the smell of a person’s breath, hair and clothes
  • Reducing the likelihood of a person having stained hands, fingernails and teeth.

“When you go out in public, you don't want to smell of tobacco. You could be sitting in a function room or something like that and you're the only smoker. Everyone is going to know.” - Male who smokes accessing a homelessness service in regional Western Australia

Everyone deserves to feel great, and be offered the opportunity to make smoking history.