Quitting smoking
It is never too late to stop smoking.
There is support available to help you quit. Talk to your doctor about this.
Even after a cancer diagnosis, quitting can improve your response to treatment.
The benefits of quitting
If you smoke, and have been diagnosed with cancer, there are many benefits to quitting:
- improving how well your body responds to the cancer treatment
- lowering your chance of treatment side effects
- helping you recover faster after treatment
- reducing your chance of getting another cancer
- giving you a better quality of life.
Support to stop smoking and vaping
You can get free help to become smoke-free and vape-free.
Talk to your GP, specialist or nurse when you are ready to quit. They can give you more information and refer you to a cessation support service.
There are also free support services you don't need a referral for:
- Quitline
- Call 13 78 48 to speak with a counsellor who can help you quit smoking and vaping.
- Aboriginal and multilingual counsellors are also available.
- The line is open 8am to 8 pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.
- The cost is the same as a local call.
- Once you contact them, they can call you back if you want.
- iCanQuit website
- Find information on how to stop smoking and vaping and stay quit.
- Join an online community forum to share stories and experiences.
- Create your own quit plan.
- Pave app to quit vaping
- Designed with young people,for young people.
- Do activities to help navigate common barriers to quitting.
- Track your progress.
- Distract yourself from cravings.
Other resources we recommend
Use the following links to find out more about this topic.
Quitting methods - iCanQuit
https://www.icanquit.com.au/quitting-methods/professional-support-and-advice/quitline
Resources to help you quit smoking
http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/113395/uncategorized/resources-to-help-you-quit-smoking/