WHAT’S THE BEST
Quitting smoking and vaping is a deeply personal journey that can be tough. With a range of ways to quit, finding what works for you is the best path to success.
Whether you choose to quit cold turkey or seek support through nicotine replacement therapies or counselling, it’s important to remember that everyone’s experience is different, and finding what works for you is key to overcoming cravings and building lasting change.
Use our Quitting Calculator to work out how much you can save by quitting vaping or smoking today.
Quitting methods
Cold turkey
What does cold turkey mean?
Cold turkey is the term used when someone stops smoking abruptly without using any products such as NRTs or professional support, using pure mental strength and willpower.
When people quit cold turkey, they often develop their own strategies such as setting a quit date, avoiding situations where they used to smoke such as going to the pub, trying new activities to replace old habits, changing routines, and setting aside money saved from not smoking to reward themselves in an alternative way.
If you’re thinking about trying to quit cold turkey, think of your willpower as a muscle and that it will get stronger the more you use it, and remind yourself of the reasons you decided to quit and celebrate the milestones, no matter how small, to acknowledge how far you have come.
However, it is also completely okay if you need more help quitting, whether it be support from family, friends, or your doctor, or nicotine replacement therapies.
Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs)
What are NRTs and how do they work?
Nicotine Replacement Therapies, or NRTs are an alternative source of nicotine, which can help you to work through cravings and feelings of withdrawal when quitting.
Cigarettes and vapes are highly addictive due to the nicotine in them, which binds to receptors in the brain and release dopamine, or “the feel good” chemical, which is why your body craves another cigarette when the dopamine buzz wears off.
NRTs lock onto these receptors and lessens cravings or withdrawals.
Wait? Isn’t this addictive too?
Because the amount of nicotine in NRTs is much lower than that of a cigarette, most people can easily stop using NRTs when they feel they no longer need it.
NRTs also take longer for the nicotine to get to the brain, which means it’s much easier to stop using than cigarettes or vapes.
People with longer-term or more serious addiction to nicotine may need to continue NRT usage for longer than others, but it is still far safer than using tobacco.
What does NRT look like?
There are several different types of NRTs, including:
Patches
Patches are stuck to your body (usually your arm, chest or back) like a bandaid. They come in 16-hour day patches or 24-hour day and night patches, with different strength options.
They work slower than other NRTs or cigarettes, but provide a slow, steady level of nicotine over a longer period of time. They can be used in conjunction with other NRTs.
Gum
Gum is a fast-acting NRT that can be used alongside patches for fast relief from nicotine cravings.
Similarly with patches, dosage sizes depend on your level of addiction.
NRT gum is NOT like regular chewing gum; you must ensure you haven’t had anything to eat or drink for 15 minutes before use, but it is safe for use during pregnancy.
Chew your gum until you notice a peppery taste or tingling sensation, flatten it and put it either under your tongue or between your check and gum, let the gum harden and repeat the process for up to 30 minutes at a time.
Mouth spray
Mouth sprays are a fast-acting NRT that can be used in conjunction with patches.
Each pump contains about 150 doses of nicotine in a fine spray.
The most important thing about using a mouth spray is the placement of the spray, as the medication is absorbed through your mouth lining, not your stomach, so don’t swallow it!
Lozenges
Lozenges are another fast-acting NRT you can use in combination with patches.
These are designed to dissolve in your mouth, which takes about 20-30 minutes.
Don’t put them under your tongue, or eat or drink anything for 10 minutes after use!
Inhalators
Nicotine inhalators are a fast-acting NRT device available from pharmacists.
They come in cartridges that can be replaced inside the device, with one cartridge being equivalent to around 7 cigarettes.
Users should puff for 20-40 minutes for relief, with each cartridge lasting for about 12 hours.
Do not eat or drink for at least 20 minutes before using an inhaler.
Counselling
The team at Quitline provide a free, non-judgemental, and confidential counselling service for people quitting smoking or vaping, including a dedicated team of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander counsellors for culturally sensitive support.
Quitline counsellors help by motivating you, building a personalised quit plan, provide tips to manage cravings, and much more.
We know life is busy and you might be time poor, which is why you can contact Quitline via phone, request a call back, SMS, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp.
Counselling
The team at Quitline provide a free, non-judgemental, and confidential counselling service for people quitting smoking or vaping, including a dedicated team of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander counsellors for culturally sensitive support.
Quitline counsellors help by motivating you, building a personalised quit plan, provide tips to manage cravings, and much more.
We know life is busy and you might be time poor, which is why you can contact Quitline via phone, request a call back, SMS, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp.
