Go smoke free for your health, your family, and the environment

World No Tobacco Day occurs every year on May 31^st and aims to raise awareness about the dangers of using tobacco. If you smoke, there’s no better time than World No Tobacco Day to quit smoking.   

Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable risk factor for death and disease, it increases your risk of a wide range of diseases including 16 types of cancers, respiratory disease, heart diseases and stroke. Every year it claims the lives of approximately 24,000 Australians.  

Quitting smoking not only benefits your health, but also has benefits to your family’s health with a reduction of second-hand smoke exposure, as well as having benefits financially and for the environment too.  

Many people quit smoking on their own without support, however extra support can increase your chances of quitting successfully. If you wish to use quit support, choose methods that are safe and suit you. There are many supports to help you quit smoking including calling the NSW Quitline, using apps such as the MyQuitBuddy app and speaking with your GP. There are also several safe and approved pharmacological options that may help including Nicotine Replacement Therapy, known as NRT (such as transdermal patches, gum, and lozenges), as well as other stop smoking medications that are available via prescription from your doctor. People who use a combination of pharmacological support (like NRT or other stop smoking medications) with counselling support (like the NSW Quitline) are most likely to succeed in quitting. 

Another support mechanism for quitting smoking that may not be as obvious is smoke free areas. Under NSW Smokefree Environment law many outdoor areas such as schools, parks, outdoor dining and playgrounds are smoke free. Many Local Councils are also making business and shopping areas smoke free. Smoke free zones protect our communities from second hand smoke exposure, help to denormalise smoking and further protect our young people from taking up smoking.  They also help people who have quit to stay quit.

Many people who smoke need to practice quitting several times before they give up for good. Keep trying and don’t give up! Practice helps you plan what to do the next time you get an urge to smoke. And remember to set a quit date, why not pick May 31^st – World No Tobacco Day.