Thinking about quitting smoking or vaping, but worried you will have to handle every craving alone? Quitline Australia: How to Get Support begins with a simple truth: you do not need to have everything worked out. You can ask questions, weigh your options, or start putting together a practical plan.
Many people wonder whether Quitline costs money or whether they need a firm quit date before calling. Some feel uneasy discussing a setback with a stranger. Quitline counsellors, however, provide confidential, practical, and non-judgmental support throughout Australia.
This guide explains how to call 13 QUIT, request a callback, and find online support. It also looks at counselling, cravings, quitting medicines, referrals, and inclusive services. Family members, carers, and health professionals can use Quitline for guidance as well.
1. Quitline Australia: How to Get Support for Smoking or Vaping
What Quitline is
Quitline is a confidential service for anyone seeking help with smoking, vaping, or both. State and territory Quit services provide counselling across Australia. Local arrangements differ, but callers speak with trained counsellors who understand nicotine dependence and the challenges of quitting.
Counsellors listen first, then talk through possible next steps. They can offer information, encouragement, behavioural counselling, and practical ways to handle difficult situations. Their job is to help you make informed choices—not to criticise your habits or push you into a decision.
You can contact Quitline while preparing to quit or after you have already stopped. You can also call if you are only beginning to think about making a change. No quit date is required. You do not need complete confidence or a carefully prepared plan either.
Who can use the service
Quitline helps people at many different stages. You might be preparing for your first attempt or starting again after several tries. Perhaps you need support staying smoke-free or vape-free through a stressful few weeks.
Family members, friends, and carers can ask for guidance too. A counsellor can suggest ways to encourage someone without monitoring, criticising, or pressuring them. That support might be as simple as listening, celebrating progress, or helping remove smoking and vaping cues.
Health professionals can also discuss Quitline with patients and clients. With their informed consent, eligible people may be referred through the relevant state or territory pathway. Doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dental teams, and community workers should check local referral requirements.
Cost, privacy, and eligibility
Quitline counselling is generally free and confidential. Ordinary telephone or data charges may still apply, depending on your provider and how you make contact. If you are concerned about costs, privacy, records, or callback procedures, ask your local service.
Eligibility and available programs vary between jurisdictions. Age arrangements, digital services, counselling schedules, and special programs may differ too. Check the latest details with the official Quit service for your state or territory.
2. How to Contact Quitline: Phone, Callback, and Online Options
Call 13 QUIT
Call 13 QUIT (13 7848) to contact Quitline in Australia. This national number directs callers to the appropriate service for their location. You can call about quitting cigarettes, vapes, other tobacco products, or a combination of products.
Operating hours and service features differ across states and territories. Hours may also change on weekends and public holidays, or during unexpected service interruptions. If timing is important, check your official state or territory Quit website before calling.
Local information will clarify current hours, costs, eligibility, and ways to get in touch. Not sure which option applies to you? Call 13 QUIT anyway. The service can explain what is available where you live.
Request a callback
A callback can be useful if you cannot talk straight away or would rather plan the conversation. Depending on where you live, you may be able to request one directly. A health professional can also refer you after obtaining your informed consent.
Scheduled callbacks can provide welcome continuity during a quit attempt. A counsellor might check your progress, talk through new triggers, and help fine-tune your plan. Regular conversations may also offer encouragement, accountability, and support with preventing relapse.
The timing and number of sessions will depend on your needs and local service arrangements. Some people prefer several planned calls; others only want occasional support. During your first conversation, you can discuss safe contact times, voicemail preferences, and scheduling.
Online and accessible contact
Some Quit services provide online forms, web resources, messaging, chat, or other digital support. Availability varies by location. If you are unsure whether your preferred method is offered, start with the official Quit website for your state or territory.
You can ask Quitline about interpreters or translated information. Local staff can explain which language services are available and how an interpreter joins the call. Share your preferred language when you call, request a callback, or agree to a professional referral.
People who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech difficulties can ask about accessible ways to connect. Where appropriate, the National Relay Service may provide a suitable option. Users can request help connecting to 13 7848 through their chosen relay service.
Everyone communicates differently, so explain what works best for you. You may prefer written communication, a specific callback window, or more time to process information. Your local service can outline the channels and accommodations it is able to provide.
3. What Happens When You Contact a Quitline Counsellor?
Your first conversation
Your first conversation will usually start with what matters to you. The counsellor listens, asks questions, and describes the support that may suit your situation. You remain in control of the goals you discuss and the steps you are ready to consider.
Topics often discussed include:
- Your smoking, vaping, or combined-use pattern
- Cravings and possible nicotine dependence
- Daily routines, social cues, and emotional triggers
- Previous attempts and methods you tried
- Your current motivation and personal goals
- Relevant health concerns or medicines
You do not need a perfect plan before you call. Uncertainty is a perfectly useful place to begin counselling. You might simply say, “I am considering quitting, but I do not know when,” then explore some manageable options.
A few details can make the conversation easier, though none are compulsory. You could note which products you use, roughly how much you use each day, and how soon after waking you use nicotine. It may also help to list previous methods, current medicines, preferred contact times, and any questions you want answered.
Creating a personalised quit plan
A counsellor can help turn a broad goal into realistic, manageable steps. You might identify your triggers, prepare your surroundings, or select a quit date. There is no rigid formula, though. Your plan should fit your circumstances.
Strategies may differ for smoking, vaping, and combined use. Vaping, for example, can involve frequent use with no clear break between sessions. Someone who uses both products may need a coordinated plan to avoid simply replacing one routine with the other.
Practical preparation might include:
- Removing cigarettes, vapes, chargers, pods, and related supplies
- Changing routines connected with nicotine use
- Preparing a short response when someone offers a product
- Choosing supportive people to contact during cravings
- Planning activities for work breaks, driving, or evenings
- Keeping an emergency strategy for high-risk moments
Imagine a worker who always smokes during a 10-minute morning break. They could instead walk outside with a bottle of water and call a supportive friend. This replacement tackles more than the cigarette itself; it also addresses the routine, movement, and social connection around it.
Continuing support
Quitline may arrange additional counselling sessions or callbacks. How often these happen, and how many are offered, depends on individual needs and the local service model. Some people value frequent contact at the beginning, while others seek support for particular challenges.
In follow-up conversations, counsellors can review your progress and acknowledge the gains you have made. They can also troubleshoot problems, reinforce strategies that are working, and adjust the plan when life changes. A new job, illness, celebration, or stressful event may call for a different approach.
A lapse does not wipe out your earlier progress. It can show you which situation, emotion, or routine needs more preparation next time. Getting back in touch with Quitline quickly may help you restart with better information and stronger protection.
4. Managing Cravings, Withdrawal, and Quitting Medicines
Coping with nicotine withdrawal
When you stop using nicotine, you may experience some discomfort while your body and routines adjust. This can include strong urges, irritability, restlessness, poor concentration, low mood, disrupted sleep, or increased appetite. Experiences vary, and this general list is not a diagnosis.
Cravings can feel urgent, but they usually build and then pass. Having a simple response ready may stop you from acting automatically during that short window. Prepare several options, since the same technique will not work in every situation.
- Delay acting on the urge
- Take slow, steady breaths
- Drink water
- Walk, stretch, or move your body
- Distract yourself with a short task
- Change your location
- Contact a supportive person
Counsellors can help you spot the patterns behind cravings. Stress, alcohol, driving, meals, social occasions, and work breaks are common cues. Once you know the pattern, you can have a specific alternative ready before the urge appears.
Plan ahead for difficult days too. Protect your sleep, eat regular meals, and use small, manageable rewards to mark your progress. Water, sugar-free gum, craftwork, or another activity may also help replace familiar hand-to-mouth rituals.
Nicotine replacement therapy and medication
Quitline can share general information about nicotine replacement therapy, commonly known as NRT. Options include patches, gum, lozenges, sprays, and inhalator-style products. Counsellors can explain how these may work alongside a broader behavioural plan.
They can also offer general information about prescription quit-smoking medicines. Counselling is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, or personalised medical advice. A doctor, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist can determine which choices are appropriate for your health circumstances.
Talk to an appropriate clinician about:
- Product suitability and correct dosing
- Possible side effects or medicine interactions
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Mental health symptoms and current treatment
- Existing medical conditions
- Unexpected or worsening symptoms
You can keep using Quitline counselling while taking NRT or prescribed medication. Behavioural support may make it easier to follow your wider plan consistently. It also helps address the triggers that medication cannot remove on its own.
Do not assume that Quitline will supply free NRT or medication directly. Subsidies, free-product programs, and eligibility rules differ between locations and programs. Before relying on a specific offer, ask your Quit service and clinician about current local arrangements.
Preventing and responding to setbacks
Early warning signs may include keeping emergency cigarettes or returning to familiar situations where you used to vape. Skipping support calls or telling yourself “one will not matter” can also indicate that the risk is increasing. Notice these signs early and you have more time to use your coping plan.
An emergency plan might identify one safe place, one distraction, and one person you can contact. It can also list your reasons for quitting and spell out what to do after a lapse. That means fewer decisions to make when you are stressed or dealing with an intense craving.
Repeated attempts are common. Each one can teach you something useful. If you smoke or vape again, pause and look at what happened without judging yourself harshly. Contact Quitline again rather than waiting until you feel completely confident.
5. Specialised, Inclusive, and Culturally Safe Quit Support
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can request culturally appropriate support from Quitline. Depending on local arrangements, Aboriginal Quitline services or counsellors may be available. Call 13 7848 and ask for the type of support that feels right for you.
Quitting does not happen separately from everyday life. Community, family, culture, stress, housing, and local circumstances can all shape a person’s choices. A culturally safe conversation should respect those wider realities as well as each caller’s personal priorities.
Some callers may feel more comfortable speaking with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander counsellor. Others might want to involve family, a health worker, or another trusted person. Let the service know which approach would help you feel comfortable and understood.
Tailored support for different needs
Pregnant people and those planning pregnancy can access non-judgmental help with quitting. Medicines and nicotine products should also be discussed with a maternity team, doctor, or pharmacist. Personal medical advice remains especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Young people can ask about age-appropriate help to stop smoking or vaping. Eligibility, consent, privacy, and contact arrangements may vary locally. A young caller, parent, carer, or clinician can check the relevant requirements with the local Quit service.
Quitline also assists lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, and other sexuality-diverse or gender-diverse communities. Some jurisdictions may offer tailored local programs. Callers only need to share the information they feel comfortable discussing.
People living with mental health conditions can use Quitline alongside their existing healthcare. Tell your treating clinician about major changes in symptoms or any concerns involving medicines. Because quitting can affect routines and treatment needs, coordinated care may be helpful.
People from culturally and linguistically diverse communities can ask for interpreters and translated resources. Procedures and availability depend on local arrangements. Callers can also explain their cultural, privacy, communication, accessibility, and scheduling preferences so staff can adapt the support where possible.
6. Referrals, Contact Checklist, and Help Outside Quitline
Referrals from health professionals
Health professionals can introduce Quitline during routine care and offer to make a referral. Doctors, pharmacists, nurses, hospitals, dental teams, maternity services, and community health workers may all take part. They should obtain informed consent before passing on anyone’s contact details.
Referral forms and submission methods vary between states and territories. Professionals should use the official Quitline referral resources for their own jurisdiction. Using an outdated form, or assuming another jurisdiction follows the same process, may delay contact.
Before making a referral, confirm:
- The patient’s preferred telephone number
- Safe days and times for contact
- Whether voicemail messages are acceptable
- Preferred language and interpreter needs
- Communication or accessibility requirements
- Clear consent for the referral
Checklist before making contact
A brief checklist may make your first conversation easier. It is not a test or a condition of using the service. Gather whatever information you can, then call even if some details are still uncertain.
- Keep 13 QUIT (13 7848) ready
- Note each tobacco or vaping product used
- Estimate daily or weekly frequency
- List previous attempts and methods
- Record current medicines
- Identify common triggers
- Write down questions for the counsellor
Choose somewhere comfortable where you can talk openly. Decide whether Quitline may leave a voicemail, and note the times you would prefer a callback. These simple choices can help protect your privacy at home, at work, or around family.
No preparation? You can still call. Saying “I want to understand my options” is enough to get the conversation started. The counsellor can help you gather useful information as you talk.
When Quitline is closed or the situation is urgent
If Quitline is closed, check the official Quit resources for your state or territory. Online information and callback requests may still be available when counsellors are not taking calls. Current local pages may also list holiday closures and the next available contact time.
Quitline is not a replacement for emergency, crisis, poisoning, or personalised medical services. Call Triple Zero (000) if someone is facing an immediate threat to life. Seek urgent medical care for serious symptoms or health concerns that are worsening quickly.
Contact an appropriate crisis service when someone needs immediate mental health support. For urgent questions about medication, speak with a doctor, pharmacist, or another qualified clinician. Get clinical advice about severe reactions, unexpected symptoms, dosing mistakes, or possible interactions.
Conclusion
Quitline provides confidential, generally free, and non-judgmental counselling to help people stop smoking, vaping, or both. You can get in touch before setting a quit date or after a setback. Families, carers, and health professionals may also seek advice or discuss referral options.
Counsellors can help you build a personal plan, manage cravings, and prepare for difficult situations. They can explain general quitting options and, where available, arrange continuing support. Decisions about individual medical care should still be made with an appropriate healthcare professional.
Call 13 QUIT (13 7848), request a callback, or visit the official Quit website for your state or territory. Check current hours, eligibility, and contact options before relying on local arrangements. Above all, choose the kind of support that feels practical and comfortable for you.
