I Want to Quit Smoking – What Now?

Congratulations! Having the motivation to quit smoking is absolutely essential to give you the best chance of succeeding.

To understand the best way for you to quit, find your nearest pharmacy stocked and trained in supplying smoking cessation treatments, including therapeutic vaping products, to help you get through the hard parts and beyond.

Among other things, your pharmacist can direct you to a local prescriber experienced in smoking cessation to work with you on your quit journey – this is key in terms of maximising your chances of successfully quitting for good.

In the meantime, the following information can help you prepare and know what to expect:

Preparing to quit smoking

Having a plan can make quitting a little easier and increases your chances of success. When you’re ready to quit, there are a few easy steps you can take to make your plan a reality.

Set a quit date

You’ll only move forward in your journey to quit smoking once you commit to a date when you’ll be completely smoke-free. Give yourself enough time to prepare, but don’t delay too long – no more than a week.

Identify your reasons for quitting

Make sure to write these out and stick them up somewhere at home, as consistently reflecting on your reasons will help a lot, particularly in the tougher moments.

Your reasons for quitting will be unique to you. If you’re unsure of them, consider the following questions as a good starting point:

1. What impact is smoking having on my health?
2. What am I missing out on by smoking?
3. If I keep smoking, what could happen to me and my family?
4. How will quitting improve my life?

Understanding nicotine withdrawal

Like most smokers on their quitting journey, you may feel pretty uncomfortable and crave a cigarette in the first few weeks after quitting.

Unpleasant symptoms associated with quitting smoking are known as ‘withdrawal‘.

Smokers who quit, whether they do it cold turkey or with the help of medications, counselling, or other tools, can experience withdrawal.

During nicotine withdrawal, the body adjusts to no longer receiving nicotine from cigarettes. The worst withdrawal symptoms usually only last a few days to a few weeks for most people. During that time, you may:

1. Feel a little down
2. Not be able to sleep well
3. Become irritable, frustrated, or angry
4. Feel jittery, anxious, or restless
5. Struggle to think clearly

To alleviate these feelings, you may be tempted to smoke. Just keep in mind that these withdrawals are temporary, no matter how strong they appear to be at the time.

If you continue to smoke your nicotine withdrawals will never, ever go away.

Managing triggers and cravings

Recognising your smoking triggers can be a game-changer in managing them. Triggers can be certain people, places, or activities that make you crave a cigarette. For example:

1. During a break at work
2. Meeting friends out for a drink
3. With your morning coffee or after meals

Cravings may feel overwhelming, but they’re only temporary. Having healthy distractions can help you push through.

Whenever a craving strikes, consider doing any of the following:

1. Very deliberately delay acting on the urge – that means, ride it out. You’ll find that after a few minutes the cravings will subside
2. Drink a big glass of water – take small sips, and keep your focus on finishing the glass
3. Distract yourself – call a friend, do some cleaning or exercise, write out next week’s schedule

Find the thing that helps you the most, and then use it to combat those cravings whenever they occur.

Your quit smoking options

It’s difficult to quit smoking on your own, but you don’t have to go cold turkey. As a matter of fact, you may be better off taking a different path.

Here are some options for you to discuss with your pharmacist:

Therapeutic vapes, also known as nicotine vaping products (NVPs)

Depending on your personal situation (your pharmacist will assess you for the right option) certain vapes are now available over-the-counter at most pharmacies without a prescription (ex. WA and TAS).

Your pharmacist may also refer you to a GP or a telehealth prescriber if they believe that a higher concentration prescription-only vape may be more suitable for your ongoing needs.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

There are many NRT options available over the counter such as patches, gum, sprays, inhalers, and lozenges.

Pharmacies and most supermarkets will have these available – no prescription required.

Prescription medications

Available in pill format under prescription, these medications work by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain so smoking is less enjoyable.

Quitline

Receive support from a trained counsellor 24/7 to help you through your quit journey by calling 13 78 48.

Alternative methods

There are a number of these available, including hypnotherapy and acupuncture. There is no clear evidence so far to show how much these kinds of methods will help you to quit smoking.

Remember: Everyone’s different, but anyone can quit. If one method doesn’t quite work for you it’s important not to get disheartened, just try another method. Stick with it until you find your solution.

Building a support network

When the people in your life support you, quitting smoking is a lot easier. Tell them you’re planning to quit and how they can assist you. Here are some pointers:

1. Tell them you’ve decided to quit, and why it’s important to you
2. Ask them to check in on you to see how things are going
3. Ask them to help you think of things you can do together that don’t involve smoking
4. If they smoke, ask them to quit with you, or at least not to smoke around you
5. Ask them not to give you a cigarette, regardless of what you say or do
6. Tell them that you might be cranky while you’re trying to quit
7. Ask them to be patient and to help you through it

Support is one of the keys to quitting successfully, and it may just make all the difference.