Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to ‘Keep at Quitting’ smoking and vaping with support from Aboriginal Quitline

Madison, a 30 year old Yorta Yorta woman, started smoking when she was young. It’s what her friends did. When she found out she was pregnant 10 years ago, she’d already been smoking for seven years. Madison managed to quit and stay quit for five years - for the sake of her baby’s health.

After her second child was born though, vapes became popular. And soon enough Madison found herself vaping every day.

“I vaped without thinking too much about it for a while. I didn’t know much about the harms. Then I started coughing up blood and it really scared me.”

Madison has since quit vaping, but she has now returned to smoking. She knows she can quit again, because she’s done it before.

“The years I spent being quit were happy. I had my son, I was in good health, and I had more money in my pocket to enjoy life,” she said.

Mob who've quit smoking or vaping yarn about the many benefits – being free from the hassles of addiction, saving money and protecting others from breathing in the toxic chemicals from cigarettes or vapes.

And it’s stories like Madison’s which led Quit to licence the Keep at Quitting campaign developed in consultation with First Nations people. It supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians who smoke or vape to quit. Keep at Quitting drives awareness of the support available to community through Aboriginal Quitline (AQL).

Keep at Quitting also encourages people to persevere on their quitting journey, even if they’ve tried to quit several times before.

“I want to quit, I know I will. And I want to quit for good this time” Madison added.

Tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable ill health and early death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is responsible for 37% of First Nations people’s deaths¹, while 26% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Victorians smoke daily².   

Quit Victoria State Manager, Sabine Ostrowski spoke about the organisation’s commitment to ensuring quit support was accessible for all, to bring down Victoria’s nicotine usage, especially within populations where smoking and vaping prevalence remains higher.

“We hope the Keep at Quitting campaign will help to normalise the fact that quitting can involve many tries. Our AQL service is there to provide tailored advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to persevere and quit, whether it’s their 5th or 25th attempt,” Ms Ostrowski said.

Keep at Quitting was developed as part of the national ‘Give Up For Good’ campaign. It will run until May 31, across Victorian radio, print, digital and community settings.  

The campaign creative focuses on:  

• Time enjoyed with family and friends as a motivation to quit   

• Creating a positive, encouraging tone that is non-shaming  

• Featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, settings and priorities to resonate with the audience 

• Introduction to the idea that quitting might take multiple attempts and that any setbacks should not be a reason to not try again. 

VicHealth CEO and Quit partner, Professor Anna Peeters AM added that quitting benefitted more than just the person who stops smoking or vaping.  

“VicHealth is proud to support Aboriginal Quitline and campaigns like Keep at Quitting, which walk alongside community with culturally safe support and encouragement. When someone quits, it’s not just their health that improves — it’s a ripple effect for families and friends, households and communities. That’s the power of prevention, and we’re here for the journey,” Professor Peeters concluded. 

How to access support:

• Yarn with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander counsellors at Aboriginal Quitline (AQL). AQL is a free telephone-based counselling service that helps mob to quit smoking and be strong in health and wellbeing. AQL can also help if you're vaping, or using vapes to quit smoking. AQL counsellors bring traditional ways of yarning into the counselling. Meet some of the counsellors and find out how to connect at www.aql.org.au. Call Aboriginal Quitline for a yarn on 13 7848. Let's keep at quitting!

• Download the free My QuitBuddy app that helps you get, and stay, smoke-free and vape-free. It provides helpful tips and distractions to overcome cravings. It also helps you track your progress.

• Speak with your GP, health worker or Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) worker for support and advice on the options available to help you quit. They can help you get cheaper medications that can reduce cravings. They can also refer you to AQL. All you need to do is tell them you'd like a referral. They'll get in touch with AQL, who’ll then get in touch with you. 

Ends

Media Contact 
Prue Gildea Quit Media Manager M: 0400 394 274 E: prue.gildea@cancervic.org.au