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 (external site) are available to provide non-judgemental, culturally safe support. Quitline also provides access to interpreters for people experiencing challenges communicating in English through the Translation and Interpreter Service (external site) and National Relay services (external site).

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)

The WA Department of Health provides funding to Western Australia's Quitline service.

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 and vaping cessation: A guide for health professionals (external site)
• RACGP and NACCHO National guide to preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (external site)
• RANZCP Mental Health Clinician Guidance for Managing People’s Smoking Cessation (external site)
• RANZCOG Smoking and Pregnancy Statement (external site)
• PSA Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: nicotine dependence support (external site)

Guide to support young people to quit vaping

This guide is designed to help WA health professionals give brief advice to young people (10 to 25 years) on quitting vaping and managing nicotine withdrawal. It covers screening for nicotine dependence, quit strategies and resources, options for pharmacotherapy and additional supports. It has been developed to be used in a range of settings, including public health services, primary care services, schools, and youth-oriented community services.

• Guide to support young people to quit vaping (PDF 2MB)

Factsheets

• Nicotine dependence (for young people) (PDF 263KB)
• Stress and anxiety (for young people) (PDF 230KB)
• Quit support (for young people) (PDF 274KB)
• Nicotine dependence (for parents and carers) (PDF 291KB)
• Quit support (for parents and carers) (PDF 254KB)

Clear the Air program

Cancer Council WA’s 'Clear the Air' (external site) program aims to prevent vaping and support young people aged 11 to 24 years to quit through digital campaign activities and resources for those working with them.

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

Other support services

• Headspace 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. Visit headspace.org.au (external site).
  
  
• Kids Helpline 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 or visit kidshelpline.com.au (external site).

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).

Make Smoking History is delivered by Cancer Council WA and is jointly funded by the WA Department of Health, Healthway and Cancer Council WA.

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 experiencing challenges communicating in English can call the Quitline on 13 7848 and ask for an interpreter or request a call-back on the Quitline website (external site).

The Australian Government has a range of translated resources for:

• parents and carers on youth vaping (external site)
• adults on quitting smoking and vaping (external site).

My QuitBuddy app

My QuitBuddy (external site) is a free app that provides tips and distractions to help people stay smoke-free and vape-free, with customisable charts to track quitting progress, and other helpful tools and reminders.

National online cessation hub

The national online cessation hub (external site) provides a comprehensive range of evidence-based smoking and vaping cessation support, information, and resources.

Safer Baby Bundle WA

Safer Baby Bundle is a national initiative to reduce the number of stillborn babies, including clinician resources and eLearning modules on smoking cessation. 

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.