Cigarette smoking is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as a range of cancers and other diseases and conditions. 

Decide to quit
The single most important thing a smoker can do for their cardiovascular health is to quit smoking. One of the first steps in the quitting process is to decide that you want to quit, then set a quit date and plan towards it.

Get support
Call us on 1300 36 27 87 to order our "Smoking and Your Health" booklet to help you to get started. Think about when and why you smoke, plan ahead for difficult situations that you'll face and have other ways to cope than by smoking.

For further support and information on quitting, call the Quitline on 13 QUIT, a 24-hour counselling service for smokers. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using nicotine chewing gum, patches or inhalers to support your quitting efforts.

Quitting smoking is a process that sometimes takes a number of attempts. Never give up giving up!

Make your home smoke-free
Another way to be smoke-free is to make your house a smoke-free zone. This protects the non-smokers in the household, especially children and people with heart disease. Also, when you are out, ask for a smoke-free area. Encourage your local pub, café or restaurant to make their alfresco dining areas smoke-free.

Second-hand smoking and your health - information sheet (2008)
 Download

Tough new tobacco laws come in to force in NSW
Following lobbying from the Heart Foundation and other health charities, tough new tobacco laws came in to force in NSW on 1 July 2009. The measures include putting tobacco products out of sight in shops, banning smoking in cars carrying children and not allowing cigarettes to be bought using shopper loyalty points. Click here for more information.
 Download the media release.