HOW TO QUIT


Contact your local GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or Quitline (13 7848) for personalised Quit Help.

Habits and Triggers

Learning your smoking and vaping habits and triggers is a deadly step in quitting.

Smoking and vaping can be more than an addiction, for many it is a coping strategy for difficult situations, a part of socialising and daily routine. Certain situations can 'trigger' an urge to smoke or vape more than others.

A trigger is something that creates the urge to have a smoke or vape. Triggers are different for everyone, but they are often; caused emotions like stress, anger or sadness; situations where one would normally have a smoke or vape (drinking morning coffee/tea, hanging out with your Mob): remind you of smoking (seeing an ash tray, smelling cigarette smoke, seeing someone having a smoke).

How to identify a trigger - and what to do about them

Identifying triggers can be tricky at first.

Steps to identifying triggers:

  1. When you feel the urge to smoke or vape note what you are doing, if you’re feeling any strong or negative emotions or if there is something you can see or smell that reminds you of smoking.
  2. Think back to any previous times you have been in a similar situation and have had a smoke or vape. Can you see a pattern in when you experience cravings?
  3. Smokers and vapers often associate their behaviours with social interactions or routines.
  4. Try different ways you can change the situation to help manage the trigger and minimise or remove the craving.

Examples of triggers and ways to minimise them:

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Triggers

Ways to manage

Smelling cigarette smoke or seeing someone smoke

  • Remove yourself from the situation if possible
  • Do something to keep you busy – chew gum or hold a water bottle and take sips regularly

Spending time with your Mob

  • Explain to your family and friends you have quit smoking and ask them to refrain from smoking with or around you
  • Change up the activity you usually do together (e.g. instead of sitting around, go for a walk)

Stress

  • Stressful situations will be unique to each individual
  • During your quit journey, nicotine withdrawals can impact your perception of stress. Withdrawals can negatively affect your mood, making you more irritable and making stress more difficult to manage.
  • Finding healthy coping strategies that work for you in stressful scenarios will take time
  • It's important the strategies are something you enjoy and you feel truly relieve stress
  • Examples of redirecting and minimising stress include going for a walk, listening to music, getting out on Country or yarning with a friend
  • Hold a water bottle in the hand you would normally use to smoke with and take small, frequent sips

Lunch break

  • Switch your normal lunch spot to somewhere new
  • Don’t sit near people who smoke or vape
  • Go for a walk

Sitting in traffic/in the car

  • Remove any reminders of smoking or vaping
  • Try to remove the smell of cigarettes by cleaning the car and adding an air freshener
  • Play your favourite music
  • Listen to a podcast

Morning coffee or tea

  • Change where you have your morning coffee or tea
  • Change up your drink, try a new brand or flavour

When drinking alcohol

  • Avoid grog as much as possible in the first few weeks of quitting as it can affect your brain's decision-making process
  • Try holding a non-alcoholic option in the same hand you would normally hold your cigarette or vape

Watching TV

  • Sit in a different location to normal (different room, on a different chair or even on the floor)
  • Use a stress ball or fidget toy
  • Move through some light stretching while watching TV

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a treatment used to help people quit smoking. It works by supplying a dose of nicotine (without other toxins) to help the user manage cravings. The treatment can be delivered through a variety of options, including gum, lozenges, patches, sprays and more.

When combined with deadly quit tactics, the use of NRT and/or medication is one of the most effective ways to help someone quit.1

NRT should be selected with the assistance of your AMS, GP or Quitline and can be delivered through a variety of treatment options.

Oral NRT Treatments:

Are often fast acting NRT options. Oral treatments can help manage the sudden onset of Nicotine cravings by quickly releasing nicotine into your system when required. Options for oral NRT treatments include:

  • Nicotine gum
  • Nicotine lozenges
  • Nicotine mist spray
  • Nicotine Inhalator

Topical NRT Treatments:

Used for a slower, steadier release of nicotine into the system. Topical treatments help to assist with withdrawal symptoms over a longer period of time. Topical treatments include:

  • Nicotine patches

It is common for both topical and oral NRT treatments to be used together (Combination NRT), as this can offer the most effective quit support.

Prescription only Medication:

Prescription only medications that help you quit smoking or vaping medications do not contain any nicotine. This form of Quit Help generally works by mimicking the effect of nicotine on your brain, and/or reducing withdrawal symptoms and nicotine cravings. Prescription medication options include:

  • Varenicline (often known as Champix)
  • Bupropion Hcl

Different forms of NRTs can be combined to give you the support you need to quit, including some prescription medications (like Champix). For help choosing the best product(s) for your quit journey, contact your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Service here, or contact Quitline on 13 78 48.

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Getting quit support

Don't be shame, you can find support from a variety of sources.

Local AMS

Your local Aboriginal Medical Service will be able to offer a variety of support for the entire duration of your quit journey. This includes access to NRTs, being able to have a confidential yarn, culturally relevant support, Quitline referrals and quit programs.

Find your nearest AMS here.

Your GP

Your GP is able to give you more information on the benefits of quitting, as well as prescribe and recommend NRTs.

Contact your GP to discuss further.

Quitline

Accessing Quitline is an easy way to access quit support from wherever you are in Australia. Quitline offers free and confidential specialised support programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Access Quitline here or call 13 7848.

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References

  1. Hartmann-Boyce, J., Chepkin, S., Ye, W., Bullen, C., & Lancaster, T. (2018). Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000146.pub5

Health Checks

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains images of people who have passed away. With permission from their families, we have continued to use their images to acknowledge and honour their contributions in making our communities healthy and strong.

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