Smoking and vaping cessation resources

Quitline (external site) is a confidential, evidence-based telephone counselling and information service. Quitline counsellors are highly skilled in delivering behavioural interventions to support people to stop smoking or vaping. This includes helping people to:

• identify and manage triggers
• manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings
• build motivation, skills and confidence to quit.

Quitline is tailored to meet the needs of priority populations, including pregnant women, young people, and people living with mental illness. Aboriginal Quitline counsellors are available to provide non-judgemental, culturally safe support.

Quitline can also provide information on smoking and vaping to family members and other supporters of people who are trying to quit, as well as health professionals (such as doctors, hospitals, dentists, mental health specialists and pharmacists).

• Phone 13 7848 or chat online (external site) (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm AWST)
• Text ‘call back’ to 0482 090 634
• Complete a ‘request a call back’ online form (external site)
• People who have a hearing or speech impairment can call via the National Relay Service (external site).

Quitline referral form

Health professionals can refer a patient to the Quitline using the online referral form (external site).

Free online training to equip health, community and social service professionals with skills, knowledge and confidence to embed smoking cessation advice into routine practice. This training includes information on best-practice treatment for nicotine dependence.

Register at Quit Education (external site) for online training tailored to the needs of the setting in which you may work, including:

• hospital/health services (recommended by the WA Department of Health for hospital/health service staff)
• community and social services
• mental health, oral health and eye health professionals
• Alcohol and other drugs
• General Practitioners and primary health care nurses
• pregnancy and maternity health professionals.

What is brief advice?

Brief advice is a way of having a short, opportunistic conversation with a patient or client about stopping smoking. Brief advice from a health professional can be highly effective in encouraging people who smoke to make a quit attempt.

The 3-step ‘Ask, Advise, Help’ model is an evidence-based and non-intrusive approach which can be used by health, community and social service professionals during everyday interactions with patients and clients.

For more information:

• Ask, Advise, Help - 3 steps in less than 3 minutes
  This one-page chart (external site) describes the steps to take during a conversation about smoking.
• Quit Centre
  Quit Centre (external site) is a national online resource developed for health professionals, providing clinical tools, guidelines, and training to support brief intervention as part of routine care.

• RACGP: Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals (external site)
• NSW Health: Guide to Support Young People to Quit E-Cigarettes (external site).

The Cancer Council WA 'Clear the Air' campaign (external site) highlights to young people aged 14 to 24 years the dangers behind the deceptive fruity flavours in vapes. The website provides information about ways to quit vaping and how to access support:

• What are you really vaping? (external site)
• Take the ‘Am I addicted?’ Quiz (external site)
• How to quit vaping and stay vape-free (external site)

Young people can also contact the WA Quitline on 13 7848 or online chat (external site).

Other support services for young people include:

• Headspace (external site) provides information, support and services to young people aged 12 to 25 years, including for mental health and wellbeing, and alcohol and other drug use. 
• Kids Helpline (external site) provides confidential online and phone counselling for young people aged 5 to 25 years any time (available 24/7) for any reason. Phone 1800 55 1800

Schools and teachers

The WA Schools Anti-Vaping Toolkit (external site) contains information about vaping and young people, and resources and strategies for schools to increase awareness of health risks and minimise vaping among students. Curriculum-based resources for teachers to use with primary and secondary students have also been developed to accompany the toolkit.

Make Smoking History provides information on evidence-based quit support, smoke free health services, training, and publications and resources.

• Information for health professionals (external site)
• Smoking cessation in health services (external site)
• Publications and resources (external site).

Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) activities take a community population health approach to inform and support people in their decisions to not smoke or vape, or to quit smoking or vaping.  

Visit the TIS team website (external site) for more information about the TIS activities in your region.  

Aboriginal Quitline (external site) provides non-judgemental, culturally safe support to quit smoking or vaping. Call 13 7848 and ask to speak with an Aboriginal counsellor or request a call-back on the Quitline website (external site).

People who speak a language other than English can call the Quitline on 13 78 48 and ask for an interpreter or request a call-back on the Quitline website (external site).

Resources on smoking and health are also available in many languages via Health Translations (Victoria) (external site).

My QuitBuddy app
My QuitBuddy (external site) is a free app that provides tips and distractions to help overcome cravings, customisable charts to track quitting progress, and other helpful reminders.

Tobacco in Australia: Facts and Issues
A comprehensive online resource (external site) reviewing the major issues in tobacco control in Australia, compiled by Cancer Council Victoria.

Alfred Health – Start the Conversation
Start the Conversation (external site) is a campaign developed by Alfred Health (Victoria) to promote the importance of talking to every single patient about smoking.