C
ancer Council WA has just fi nished up a new digital
campaign encouraging south west smokers who have
planned to quit in 2020 to make sure they include the free
support from Quitline 13 7848 as part of their quit a• empt.
The campaign was based on a Victorian TV adver• sement
developed as a result of exploratory research to
understand common myths and misunderstandings that
acted as barriers to people making a call to Quitline.
Many people are of the misconcep• on that the Quitline
are the ‘Quit Police’, but the Quitline counsellors are
trained professionals, real people, who can off er tailored,
real-world qui•
ng advice and strategies. We want more
people in the south west to recognise that Quitline can be
their personal support system along their qui•
ng journey.
Quitline counsellors have helped thousands of people
successfully quit, so whether you are s• ll thinking about it,
are struggling with cravings or have already tried qui•
ng a
few • mes, friendly help and support is available. It is never
too late to quit.
Even if you’ve smoked for a long • me, you can drama• cally
reduce your cancer risk by stopping now. Ten years a• er
qui•
ng, your chance of ge•
ng lung cancer can drop by as
much as half what it would have been if you kept smoking.
Never give up giving up. Smoking remains one of the
largest causes of preventable deaths in Western Australia,
with more than 1800 adult smokers dying from smoking
related diseases in WA alone each year.
To access support through a quit a• empt:
•
Contact the Quitline:
o Call the Quitline on 13 7848,
o chat online at quitlinewa.org.au or
o request a call back by tex• ng 0477 765 007
•
Download MyQuitBuddy app
•
Visit makesmokinghistory.org.au or
www.quitcoach.org.au
•
Seek advice and support from your GP, Aboriginal
Health Worker or Pharmacist.
Make a Quit Plan in 2020
By Shenae Norris,
Regional Education Offi
cer (South West)
P: 08 9382 9371 | E: snorris@cancerwa.asn.au
Nannup Telegraph February 2020
Page 11