Arabic version: تسمانيا توسّع الدعم المجاني للإقلاع عن النيكوتين
According to ABC News, Tasmania has expanded a program providing free nicotine patches, gum and lozenges to people aged 12 or over who are seeking help to quit smoking or vaping. The products are available through QuitTas for people without complicating health conditions.
The monthly package is valued at up to $100 and is paired with behavioural support. QuitTas director Abby Smith said combining behavioural support with nicotine replacement therapy, including patches and an oral product such as gum, gives people the best chance of quitting successfully.
The program had previously been limited to priority groups after its launch in July last year. Those groups included people aged 12 to 25, new and expecting parents, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people eligible for a national lung cancer screening program.
Free products will be supplied over a 12-week course, allowing participants to save up to $300, QuitTas said. Manager Nyre Harris said counsellors would regularly call participants to assess whether the products were working and support them through their quitting journey. Recent or upcoming surgery, certain medications and heart problems may make some people ineligible.
QuitTas has budgeted about $144,000 for the program in the 2026–27 financial year, with funding expected to support about 400 participants. The Tasmanian government-funded expansion will run until the end of June 2027. Tasmania has Australia’s second-highest smoking rate, with 17.6 per cent of adults smoking daily or occasionally.
