What to expect when you call Quitline

It’s natural to feel unsure about calling Quitline, but there’s no need. Quitline counsellors are encouraging and non-judgemental. We speak to thousands of people each year and independent testing shows that most callers are very satisfied with their Quitline experience.

Most importantly, calling the Quitline increases quitting success. Give it a try. 

Our friendly Quitline counsellors are trained to listen carefully and provide tips and strategies that will work for you. They understand that stopping smoking is a complex process and that many people will have a number of goes at quitting before they quit for good. 

Many people call Quitline with a quick query, but a typical first call takes around 10-20 minutes.

Your call is confidential. This means you don't have to give your name if you don't want to.

On a first Quitline call, you’re likely to discuss your smoking history, how many cigarettes you smoke and your typical smoking habits.

An essential part of the first Quitline call is to set up a plan for quitting that suits you. Quitline counsellors can give advice about the different quitting methods and products. Quitline counsellors are trained to help you to explore your desire to quit and to deepen it. Quitline can also send you a wide range of written resources.

Not at all. Whether you’re thinking about your options, a family member looking for advice on how to help a loved one, or a recent quitter worried about staying quit, Quitline is for you. 

Yes. Quitline counsellors help you build and keep up your motivation to quit and can help you create a quit plan that suits you. Quitline counsellors can support you if you are using e-cigarettes to stop smoking and can help you stop vaping.

The Quitline is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Friday. You can leave a message outside those hours and we'll call you back when Quitline opens again.

You can call Quitline for the usual cost of a call from your phone. But you can also ask us to call you at no cost: request a Quitline callback. Or you can send a text to 13 7848 (normal text cost applies) and we'll call you back during Quitline hours.

Gold standard clinical trials show that Quitline doubles your chance of quitting. The most effective method of quitting is to use a service like Quitline alongside nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or prescribed stop smoking medication. If you are thinking about using NRT products we recommend what's called combination therapy: using the patch together with a fast-acting product like mouth spray, lozenge or gum.

Whether you’re ready to quit now or just want to talk about quitting one day, our experienced Quitline counsellors are on hand to give you the information and advice you need.

In January 2019, we worked with the LGBTIQ+ community to continue to make Quitline an inclusive and culturally safe space. Quitline counsellors can chat to you in a culturally appropriate and accessible way. You'll also find peers working in the service. 

Aboriginal Quitline is available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria. It is a culturally safe place to have a yarn with Aboriginal Quitline counsellors.

Yes. If you speak a language other than English, call 13 7848 and tell us you need an interpreter. We will call you back with an interpreter in your language as soon as possible. If you are part of the Chinese-speaking community, see our information in Mandarin and Simplified Chinese. Also view our multicultural resources.

• Call us on 13 7848 or request a Quitline callback. 
• Text us on 13 7848 and we'll call you back. 
• If you are deaf or have hearing or speech impairment, you can call the National Relay Service to access the Quitline.
  
• TTY users phone 13 3677 and ask for 13 7848.
• Speak & Listen users phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 13 7848.
• Internet relay users connect to the National Relay Service then ask for 13 7848.

Last updated April 2022.