Tobacco & Nicotine
For you and your community
Avoiding tobacco and nicotine is one of the most important ways to protect long-term health.
Tobacco and nicotine products are highly addictive and can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, lung disease and other serious health problems.
For people who already smoke, vape or use nicotine products, quitting can bring health benefits at any age. Support matters, and no one has to do it alone.
Addictive
nicotine can make quitting difficult
support can help
Any age
quitting can benefit health
it is never too late
Not harmless
all tobacco and nicotine products carry risks
including newer products
Others too
smoke and aerosols can affect others
especially children and vulnerable groups
Tobacco and nicotine are not ordinary products
Tobacco and nicotine products are designed, marketed and sold in ways that can create and maintain addiction.
This means use is not only about personal choice. Product design, flavours, packaging, social media, availability and social norms can all influence whether people start, continue or find it harder to stop.
Healthier surroundings can help prevent nicotine addiction and support people who want to quit.
Avoiding or quitting tobacco and nicotine can protect health
Stopping or avoiding tobacco and nicotine can bring important benefits for individuals, families and communities.
Protect long-term health
Avoiding tobacco and nicotine reduces the risk of cancer and other long-term diseases, including heart and lung disease.
Support your body
Quitting can improve breathing, circulation, energy and physical wellbeing over time.
Protect people around you
Smoke-free and nicotine-free spaces help protect children, families, workers and others from second-hand smoke and aerosols.
Support mental wellbeing
Nicotine can create dependence and make people feel trapped in repeated use. Getting support can help people regain control.
Create healthier homes and communities
Tobacco and nicotine products also affect shared environments, including through litter, cigarette butts and nicotine waste.
Small steps can make a difference
Everyone’s situation is different. Some people have never used tobacco or nicotine. Others may want to quit, reduce use, or support someone close to them.
You can:
- Avoid starting tobacco or nicotine products
- Seek support if you want to quit smoking, vaping or using nicotine
- Make your home and car smoke-free and nicotine-free
- Avoid exposing children and others to second-hand smoke or aerosols
- Notice your habits without judgement if you use tobacco or nicotine
- Reduce exposure to triggers where possible
- Talk to young people about nicotine addiction and marketing
- Support friends or family members who are trying to quit
- Ask a health professional about quitting support or available services
Quitting can be difficult because nicotine is addictive. Needing support is normal, and support can make a big difference.
It is easier to stop or avoid nicotine when surroundings support you
Tobacco and nicotine use is shaped by the people, places and messages around us.
Smoke-free spaces, reliable information, supportive families and communities, and access to quitting support can all make it easier to avoid tobacco and nicotine or take steps toward quitting.
Supportive environments also help protect children and young people from products and marketing that can make nicotine seem normal, modern or harmless.
Helpful surroundings can include
People should not have to manage tobacco and nicotine risks alone. Families, schools, workplaces, communities, municipalities and governments all have a role to play.
It can be easier when there are:
- Smoke-free and nicotine-free public spaces
- Homes, cars and workplaces where people are protected from smoke and aerosols
- Clear information about tobacco, nicotine and health
- Easy access to quitting advice and support
- Schools and youth settings that protect young people from nicotine promotion
- Social environments where not smoking or vaping feels normal
- Respectful support for people who want to quit
- Rules that reduce the appeal and availability of addictive products
Support matters. Encouragement, practical advice and healthier environments can make it easier to stop or avoid nicotine.
Common myths about tobacco and nicotine
There is a lot of health advice and product messaging online, and not all of it is reliable. Some messages can make tobacco or nicotine products seem safer, more normal or less addictive than they are.
“Some tobacco or nicotine products are harmless”
All tobacco and nicotine products carry health risks. Newer products may be marketed as modern or cleaner, but they can still lead to nicotine addiction and continued use.
“Quitting only helps if you do it early”
Quitting can improve health at any age. The benefits begin after stopping and continue over time.
“Using tobacco or nicotine is mainly a personal choice”
Use is shaped by addiction, availability, marketing, social norms and product design. Supportive surroundings make change easier.
“Most people use tobacco or nicotine”
Use is declining in many places. Correcting this can help challenge the idea that tobacco or nicotine use is normal or expected.
“Smoke-free policies are only about restricting people”
Smoke-free policies protect people from second-hand smoke and help create healthier shared spaces.
Prevention should support people, not blame them
Tobacco and nicotine harm do not affect everyone equally. Stress, income, education, housing, working conditions, mental health, social pressure and access to support can all influence use.
Quitting is not equally easy for everyone. Nicotine dependence can be strong, and people may face different barriers when trying to reduce or stop.
A fair approach gives people reliable information, respectful support and healthier surroundings, without blame or stigma.
You can take steps that matter, and support can help
Avoiding tobacco and nicotine is one of the most important ways to protect long-term health. For people who already use these products, quitting can bring benefits at any age.
You do not have to manage it alone. Support from health professionals, quit services, family, friends, communities and healthier environments can make change easier.
The goal is to prevent addiction, protect people from harm, and make tobacco-free and nicotine-free choices easier, fairer and more realistic in everyday life.
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