All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Some items, including privately purchased vaccines and consumables, attract a fee.
Quitting smoking and vaping.Rarely the first attempt.
Quitting is not a single event you either succeed or fail at. It is a process, and each attempt teaches something. Support roughly doubles the odds — and it is free to ask.
Willpower alone succeeds for a small minority. What reliably improves the odds is a combination: something to manage the nicotine withdrawal, and support to handle the habit and the triggers. Together they roughly double the chance of a quit attempt lasting.
Vaping is now a major issue among young people in particular. Many vapes contain nicotine even when labelled otherwise, and dependence can develop quickly. Quitting vaping uses much the same approach as quitting smoking, and it is worth asking for help rather than assuming it should be easy.
A relapse is data, not defeatThe useful question after a relapse is what happened in the hour before. Almost every relapse has a specific trigger, and once it is named it can be planned around next time.
Often several. That is normal and it is not failure — each attempt gives information about what triggers a relapse.
Does nicotine replacement work?
Yes, particularly when a patch is combined with a faster-acting form for cravings. Under-dosing is the most common mistake.
What about medicines to help?
There are prescription options. What is suitable is an individual clinical decision, and Australian law does not permit naming prescription medicines in advertising, so it is a conversation for your appointment.
What helps
Nicotine replacement
Read more →
What helpsNicotine replacement
Patch plus a faster form for cravings. Most people use too little, not too much.
What helps
A quit date
Read more →
What helpsA quit date
Chosen deliberately, a week or two out, with the triggers planned for.
What helps
Quitline
Read more →
What helpsQuitline
13 7848. Free, evidence-based telephone counselling, and it genuinely works.
What helps
Follow-up
Read more →
What helpsFollow-up
Booked in advance for the first fortnight, when relapse risk is highest.
Worth knowing
Withdrawal peaks early
Read more →
Worth knowingWithdrawal peaks early
The first week is the hardest. Knowing that makes it easier to ride out.
Worth knowing
Other medicines may need adjusting
Read more →
Worth knowingOther medicines may need adjusting
Stopping smoking changes how the body handles some medicines. Tell your GP you are quitting.
Dependence,and what changes when you stop.
Nicotine dependence is often minimised — by smokers, and especially by people who vape.
How do I know if I am dependent on vaping?
Vaping within an hour of waking, needing it to concentrate, feeling irritable without it, or having tried to cut down and failed all point to dependence.
My teenager is vaping. What should I do?
Bring them in, or encourage them to come alone — young people can consult confidentially. Approaching it as a health problem rather than a discipline problem gets far better results.
Is it worth quitting if I have smoked for decades?
Yes. Lung function decline slows at any age, and heart risk falls substantially within the first few years.
Timing
Smoking within 30 minutes of waking
Read more →
TimingSmoking within 30 minutes of waking
One of the strongest single markers of dependence.
Cutting down
Having tried to stop and not managed
Read more →
Cutting downHaving tried to stop and not managed
Common, and a reason to add support rather than try harder alone.
Mood
Irritable or unable to concentrate without it
Read more →
MoodIrritable or unable to concentrate without it
Withdrawal, and treatable.
Situations
Smoking when unwell, or in the rain
Read more →
SituationsSmoking when unwell, or in the rain
A useful, honest indicator of how strong the pull is.
Frequency
Vaping through the day without thinking
Read more →
FrequencyVaping through the day without thinking
Vapes have no natural stopping point the way a cigarette does.
Nicotine
Assuming it is nicotine-free
Read more →
NicotineAssuming it is nicotine-free
Many vapes contain nicotine regardless of the label.
Young people
Starting in the teens
Read more →
Young peopleStarting in the teens
Dependence develops faster in adolescence, and it is worth acting early.
Chest
New cough, wheeze or breathlessness
Read more →
ChestNew cough, wheeze or breathlessness
Worth assessing rather than assuming it is nothing.
Days
Taste and smell return
Read more →
DaysTaste and smell return
Often within days, and one of the more encouraging early changes.
Weeks
Breathing and circulation improve
Read more →
WeeksBreathing and circulation improve
Walking gets easier, often noticeably, within a couple of months.
Months
Cough and breathlessness settle
Read more →
MonthsCough and breathlessness settle
Cilia in the airways recover and infections become less frequent.
Years
Heart risk falls substantially
Read more →
YearsHeart risk falls substantially
And continues to fall the longer you stay stopped.
Any age
Lung decline slows
Read more →
Any ageLung decline slows
This holds true at any age and after any number of years.
Asking for help is not an admission of anything. It is the single most effective thing that changes the odds.
Twenty minutes after the last one, things start changing.And they keep changing for years.
Practical,and not preachy.
Book a longer appointment. There is no lecture and no judgement — most people who smoke have had plenty of both.
Consultations are, with a valid Medicare card. Nicotine replacement products have a cost, and some are available on prescription at a lower price.
Can I get help without committing to quit?
Yes. Talking about it is a legitimate appointment in itself.
Can my teenager come alone?
Yes. Young people who understand the care being offered can consent to it, and consultations are confidential.
1A conversationWhat you smoke or vape, when, and what previous attempts taught you.First
2A planNicotine replacement or another option, plus a quit date and the triggers planned for.Same visit
3The first fortnightFollow-up booked in advance, because this is when relapse risk peaks.2 weeks
4Keep goingReviews as needed. A relapse means adjusting the plan, not abandoning it.Ongoing
Quit smoking support
Vaping cessation
Nicotine replacement
Quitline 13 7848
No lectures
Young people welcome
Bulk billed
Support doubles the odds
Quit smoking support
Vaping cessation
Nicotine replacement
Quitline 13 7848
No lectures
Young people welcome
Bulk billed
Support doubles the odds
Quit smoking support
Vaping cessation
Nicotine replacement
Quitline 13 7848
No lectures
Young people welcome
Bulk billed
Support doubles the odds
Quitting smoking & vapingquestions, answered.
How many attempts does quitting usually take?
Often several. That is normal, not failure.
Does nicotine replacement really work?
Yes, especially a patch combined with a faster-acting form. Most people use too little.
What is Quitline?
Free telephone counselling on 13 7848. Evidence shows it substantially improves success rates.
Is it bulk billed?
Consultations are, with a valid Medicare card.
Can you help with vaping?
Yes. The approach is similar, and dependence is real even when the label says nicotine-free.
Can my teenager see you confidentially?
Yes, if they understand the care being offered.
Is it worth quitting after decades of smoking?
Yes. Benefits begin within days and continue for years, at any age.
Will my other medicines need changing?
Possibly. Stopping smoking changes how the body handles some medicines, so tell your GP.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Standard GP consultations are bulk billed for everyone with a valid Medicare card.