What is Quitline?

Quitline is a telephone service dedicated to helping Queenslanders quit tobacco smoking and vaping. The service provides you with tailored support for your quitting journey.

Contact Quitline

Call 13 78 48 or you can request Quitline call you below. They'll call you from a private number.

You can speak to a Quitline counsellor 7 days a week. If you call outside of business hours, a customer service assistant will record your details and arrange for a counsellor to call you back during service hours.

What to expect from Quitline

Perhaps this is the first time you've spoken with Quitline, or you've heard from us before. Either way, this video will answer some questions you may have about what to expect.

First of all, we are a team of trained health professionals. We are up to date with the latest research and evidence-based approaches on how to stop smoking or vaping and then stay quit for good.

Your privacy is very important to us and all the conversations are confidential. Every week we speak with hundreds of people and many have successfully reached their goals to stop smoking or vaping. We hope we can assist you too.

For most people, quitting can be a bumpy journey. It might be smooth going for a while, but eventually you hit a pothole or need to make some adjustments to get back on track. We can help navigate all of this with you so you can get to your goal quicker and a bit easier.

There are two main components to smoking or vaping. First, the habit, and then the second, the physical nicotine dependence. These work together to keep your brain hooked on the tobacco products. We'll talk with you about what tools can be helpful for you to tackle both of them.

On the habitual side, we know that there's no one size fits all approach. Everyone is different, so your plan to stop smoking or vaping will be unique to you.

We work with you by exploring your relationship with cigarettes or vapes. Questions like, how does smoking impact your life? What might trigger you to vape? What have you found helpful in previous quit attempts? We listen to your experience and create a tailored plan for you.

On the nicotine dependence side, we will talk to you about using nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT for short.

NRT includes products such as patches or gum and these products can help reduce craving and withdrawal symptoms. Not everyone wants to use NRT, but if you do, we'll make sure that you know how to use them correctly, such as using the right amount for the right length of time.

Sometimes just one session is enough for people to get things moving in the right direction. But a lot of people appreciate a few sessions over several weeks, so that they are supported through the Quitline journey.

Quitline accommodates both. We are here for you seven days a week. Usually the first session can take around 30 minutes, so let us know the best time to contact you.

We call from a private number and we'll leave a message if we're unable to reach you.

There's no pressure for you to talk to Quitline. We work at your pace and we are here to provide you with the best support available.

At Quitline, you’re in the driver's seat and our friendly, professional team will help you build a quit plan that suits you.

We look forward to working with you and supporting you on your quit journey.

Quitline 137848

What the service includes

  • Professional advice and assistance.
  • Tailored support to suit your specific needs.
  • Encouragement and resources to help you quit.
  • Creating a confidential record so that the counsellors can continue from your previous conversation each time you make contact.

What Quitline counsellors can do to help

  • Work with you to develop a quit plan with personalised strategies.
  • Discuss how to manage cravings or withdrawals and any difficulties you may have.
  • Chat about products to help you quit, like nicotine replacement therapy and quitting medications.
  • Send you relevant quit support material by email, post or SMS.
  • Answer your questions about tobacco smoking and vaping, quitting and everything in between.

You don’t have to discuss a quit plan if you’re not ready.

Tailored support

If you're an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander living in Queensland and smoke or vape, you can join the Yarn to Quit program. This includes quitting support and free nicotine replacement therapy.

Quitline has a dedicated team of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander counsellors, both men and women who are available most days and sometimes after hours. If they aren’t available, you can request a call back at a time that suits you or talk to another member of the team who will support you respectfully and positively.

Call Quitline on 13 78 48. The service is available 7 days a week. You can also request a call from Quitline in 2 easy steps:

  • click the Request a Quitline call button above
  • fill in a few quick questions and Quitline will call you back.

If you're pregnant or planning to fall pregnant, it's an important time to decide to quit smoking or vaping.

Queensland Health’s free program Quit for You… Quit for Baby provides tailored, confidential support for people who smoke with an optional 12-week supply of nicotine replacement patches and gum or lozenges.

If you're living in Queensland, this free program is available:

  • if you're pregnant
  • if you plan to fall pregnant within the next 6 months
  • to your partner

To find out more:

The Smoke-Free Families program is available to parents, carers and guardians of children aged 3 years and under. The free program combines multiple quit support calls with a supply of nicotine replacement patches and gum or lozenges for up to 12 weeks. To find out more:

If you’re under 30 and smoke tobacco or vape, now is the time to get the right information and support to help you quit.

This free program combines multiple support calls with a supply of nicotine replacement patches, gum or lozenges for up to 12 weeks.

All of our Quitline counsellors have the training and professional experience to answer your questions about tobacco smoking and vaping.  Your conversations with Quitline are confidential.

Quitline numbers will appear as a private number. If you don’t answer, they’ll leave a message.

Quitline events

Quitline attends community and professional events to promote education and awareness of the service.

A dedicated team attends these events to engage practitioners and community members, providing interactive tools, information and resources to support people in quitting smoking.

To invite Quitline to attend your next event, click the button below.

Your questions about Quitline answered

Watch the videos below featuring Quitline counsellors answering common questions about the service.

All videos

Last updated: May 2024