Need help to quit smoking?
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information, including advice, support and information on the best and most appropriate quit medication for you.
Call the Quitline on 13 78 48 (13 QUIT) or visit www.QuitNow.gov.au
Cancer Council WA (external link) has information about quitting, including Fresh Start courses.
Quit Coach (external link) is an online, interactive tool to help you quit smoking, giving support before you quit and during the process.
My QuitBuddy (external link) is a personalised interactive free app with quit tips, daily motivational messages and countdown to quitting reminders. It can be downloaded on an iPhone or iPad from iTunes
WA Health staff
All WA Health owned and leased premises are smoke free. 1
Smoking is not permitted on Department of Health premises throughout Western Australia.
Staff, patients, visitors, contractors and volunteers are not permitted to smoke in hospitals, community health centres, office buildings, grounds, car parks or vehicles.
» Smoke Free WA Health System Policy and Guidelines
Information for staff, contractors and volunteers
Smoke free employee brochure (PDF 638KB)
1 Involuntary mental health inpatients over the age of 18 years may be exempted from specific aspects of the Smoke Free WA Health System Policy in certain circumstances. See more information about mental health exemptions.
Training for WA Health staff
- Brief Intervention Training (external link)
This evidence based, best practice training program has been developed by the National Drug Research Institute specifically for Smoke Free WA Health. All WA Health Staff are encouraged to complete the training to achieve competency in brief intervention and motivational interviewing.
- Fresh Start Program (external link)
Cancer Council Western Australia trains health professionals to improve their skills, knowledge and confidence in providing smoking cessation support to smokers who they may deal with in the course of their work, either one-on-one or in the form of group counselling. Help to manage patients who smoke.
All clinical staff have a shared responsibility for supporting patients in complying with the Smoke Free WA Health System Policy.
You can refer patients to Quitline for ongoing counselling and support to quit smoking. Referral forms are available for download (external link). Encourage smokers to access the quit smoking resources listed above.
Information about nicotine replacement therapy
- Guidelines for the provision of assistance to nicotine dependent staff (PDF 69KB)
Provides recommendations for the provision of appropriate assistance for nicotine dependent staff across all Department of Health facilities.
- Guidelines for the provision of Nicotine Replacement Therapy through WA Health pharmacies (PDF 299KB)
Provides advice to WA Health pharmacy staff on the provision of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to WA Health patients and staff.
- The Fagerstrom Test for nicotine dependence (PDF 471KB)
Can be used to assess a patient’s level of nicotine dependence and establishing whether nicotine replacement therapy is suitable.
- Nicotine Withdrawal Management Plan (PDF 312KB)
Can be used to document an assessment for nicotine dependence, and record ongoing nicotine replacement therapy if provided.
Frameworks
- Framework for the treatment of nicotine addiction (PDF 333KB)
This Framework provides a guide for a state wide approach across primary, secondary and tertiary settings to deliver comprehensive and integrated smoking cessation treatment and support services.
- Treating nicotine addiction: Tools and resources (PDF 49KB)
This document summarises the resources, tools and information referred to throughout the Framework into a useful one page sheet for health professionals.
File Formats
Some documents for download on this website are in a Portable Document Format (PDF). To read these files you might need to download Adobe® Acrobat Reader.