Service to help you quit smoking
Tobacco smoking is the greatest single cause of premature death and is a leading preventable cause of morbidity in NSW. We can help you to quit smoking - ask at your appointment or contact the NSW Quitline for support.
Quit4Bub
Quit4Bub is a research project being undertaken in our maternity services, facilitated by our Population Health team. We want to find out what works best to support pregnant women to stop smoking in the second half of their pregnancy. To participate in the study, speak to your midwife, email the research team, or text TELL ME MORE to 0436852496.
This research project (“Enhanced brief intervention for smoking cessation in pregnancy: a mixture of pharmacological and psychosocial approach for Southern NSW Local Health District”) has received ethical approval from the Greater Western Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2020/01297) and the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council (Ref: 1666/20)
NSW Quitline
The NSW Quitline is a confidential telephone information and advice service. For the cost of a local call, professional telephone advisors provide encouragement, resources and support to help smokers quit. They are friendly, helpful, non-judgmental and are able to assist smokers at whatever stage they may be at in the quitting process. The Quitline advisors can also provide advice to family and friends of smokers and to health professionals about the best evidence for quitting smoking.
NSW Quitline offers:
- A free callback service
- A Quit kit containing helpful information about quitting - available to download or order in English, Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) and Vietnamese;
- An individually tailored and culturally sensitive service for Aboriginal callers;
- Dedicated language lines in Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) and Vietnamese;
- Callers from other culturally and linguistically diverse communities can also call the Translating and Interpreter Service.
iCanQuit
The iCanQuit website can provide you with the information and tools you need to make a quit attempt. It is interactive and allows you to share your story about previous, current or planned quit attempts. It provides helpful hints on how to quit as well as a goal tracker and savings calculator so you can see the everyday results of quitting.
Support for patients to managing their nicotine dependence in hospital
The NSW Health Smoke-free Health Care Policy means that all Southern NSW Local Health District buildings and grounds are smoke-free. This means patients and visitors to our hospitals and health services who are smokers are not able to smoke while on the premises. All smokers will be assisted while in hospital to manage symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
If you are a smoker and you are admitted to one of our hospitals you will be asked about your smoking (how many and how often) to assess your level of nicotine dependence. If clinically appropriate, you will be offered free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) while in hospital to manage any cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
We have staff who specialise in smoking cessation and can provide further support and advice to you to managing your nicotine dependence and to consider a quit attempt on discharge. If this type of support is not available to you while in hospital, staff will talk to you about the NSW Quitline 13 78 48 telephone support service and offer to arrange a referral.
For more information
Contact the NSW Quitline for support to quit smoking, or contact the Health Promotion team at Southern NSW Local Health District for further information.