Whether this is your first time, or you’ve tried everything to quit, you’ve come to the right place. We know quitting is hard, so we’ve gathered all the best tips and resources for you right here. You’re sure to find a new quit tip you’ve never tried before.
There are so many excellent reasons to give up smoking. Your health will start to improve almost immediately, and you will reduce your risk of developing illnesses like cancer, lung and heart disease.
You will no longer have to worry about harming your loved ones with secondhand smoke, and they will rest easy knowing you’re reducing your own risk of becoming seriously ill.
Not to mention you will save a lot of money.
Quitting can be challenging, but having meaningful reasons for quitting is the first step to help yourself succeed.
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Even if you have been quit for a while, a craving can feel like it’s come out of nowhere. Your challenge is to find the specific cause or “trigger” that makes you feel you need a smoke. Those triggers can be emotional, social or physical. Knowing your triggers will help you avoid them or find ways to handle them. If you need some help to figure out and manage your triggers, chatting to a Quitline counsellor is a great source of support.
Social triggers include people and places. For example, you might always smoke with particular friends or when you’re around alcohol.
Our emotions (especially negative ones) can trigger cravings to smoke. This is because your body wants to experience the dopamine (pleasure chemical) release that nicotine delivers when it reaches your brain.
A huge part of why it can be so tricky to quit smoking is because it becomes so closely associated with your habits and activities that you can forget how to do life without it. Switching up your routines while you quit can help your brain untangle cigarettes from the things you do every day.
Different strategies work for different people. From quitting cold turkey to getting help from a trained counsellor, there will be something that works for you. It may take some trial and error to find what works but hang in there. You can quit.
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What is it?
Quitting smoking without any aids.
Why is going Cold Turkey effective?
Cold turkey works for many people, sometimes on their first attempt, sometimes on their 20th attempt.
Who is it best suited to?
If you don’t have a strong physical addiction, and you know your triggers and how to fight cravings, cold turkey can work for you.
There are so many different ways to fight cravings, it’s all about trial and error. If you had a quit attempt that didn’t work out, find out what went wrong and how to work around it before you give quitting another go.
What is it?
NRT products include patches, gum, lozenges and spray.
Why is NRT effective?
NRT products help to ease withdrawal symptoms to make it easier to stay smoke-free.
Who is it best suited to?
Speak to your GP or pharmacist to see if these products suit you.
For patches, rotate where you stick them on to reduce skin irritation.
If you’ve had an acidic beverage like coffee, fruit juice, soft drink or beer, wait 15 minutes before using oral NRT products for best effect.
What is it?
Quitline is a confidential advice and information service.
Why is Quitline effective?
A trained counsellor will help you to plan and develop tailored strategies to quit smoking and stay smoke-free.
Who is it best suited to?
If you have no idea where to start, feel like you’ve tried everything, or are finding it difficult to stick with quitting, the Quitline is the place for you.
If you don’t like talking on the phone, webchat instead!
Combining a slow + a fast NRT product with support from Quitline can double your chances of quitting for good. Chat to a GP or pharmacist.
What is it?
Prescription non-nicotine medications.
Why is Smoking Medication effective?
Prescription stop smoking medications can be used to reduce withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke.
Who is it best suited to?
Talk to your doctor to see if this is the right option for you.
What is it?
Double Quit Action is a quit method combining both a behavioural support and stop smoking medication at the same time.
Why is Double Quit Action effective?
Double Quit Action helps you manage all parts of your tobacco dependence by targeting your physical, emotional and habit-related triggers to smoke. The main benefit of combining these methods is that you’ll have someone to speak to at any stage of your quitting journey, especially if you are finding things challenging. You can also get advice about how to best use your NRT to ease feelings of cravings and withdrawals.
Who is it best suited to?
This method is for everyone, but especially if you have used one of the other methods in the past and felt like you needed more support. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any medications, and to Quitline for advice and tips to make the most of your next quit attempt.
There are many different types of support available to help you quit smoking. If you’re a people-person, quit with a friend or choose someone you’ll call when you’re struggling. If you’d prefer online options, what about an app or our new interactive quit planner to get you on your way?
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Whether you're thinking about quitting, ready to quit today or trying to cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, the Quitline can help.
Learn more about Quitline.
If you want to talk to someone face-to-face, book an appointment with your doctor. This is especially important if you have any existing health conditions. You can also talk to your local pharmacist or make a telehealth appointment.
Learn more about getting started with your GP.
Text or call your family or a friend and ask them about their day. Ask family or friends to record motivational messages to help you stay quit.
Find a quit buddy and motivate each other to stay quit.
For some people who smoke developing a quit smoking plan can help them achieve their quitting goal. Developing a quit plan is about identifying what works for you and taking it step by step.
Start building your own Quit Plan.
The My QuitBuddy App tracks your quitting progress, such as days smoke-free, cigarettes avoided, health gained and dollars saved.
Download My QuitBuddy App.
If you prefer to chat online than over the phone, then Quitline’s web chat is for you. It's the same service with the same operating hours, and allows you to chat with a trained quit counsellor via the website.
Want more tips to quit smoking? Once you've tried the hacks below, check out our Quit Planner or get support from the Quitline.
The Quitline is a confidential telephone advice and information service for people who want to quit smoking.
The My QuitBuddy App tracks your quitting progress, such as days smoke-free, cigarettes avoided, health gained and dollars saved.
Some people think quitting is about willpower, but to quit successfully means being prepared, and understanding your smoking triggers.
We know quitting is hard, so we’ve created a tool to help you plan your quitting journey.
Create a fully personalised, downloadable plan in under 5 minutes.
Start My Quit Plan
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