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Smoking cessation
Evidence based advice is provided on all smoking cessation strategies including:
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved pharmacotherapies
- behavioural interventions
- use of nicotine vaping products.
Also included is advice for clinicians on promoting the key benefits of smoking cessation to their patients, including the effects on physical and mental health and risks to the developing brain.
Clinical guidance
This guidance is for the management of smoking cessation for people with mental illness, living in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
External guidance
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ guidance on supporting cessation from the RACGP is currently being updated and interim guidance is now available for clinicians.
- Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals [RACGP website]
Position statement 97: E-cigarettes and vaporisers
The RANZCP supports the legalisation and regulation of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and other vaporised nicotine products to facilitate their use as harm reduction tools.
Vaping reforms (Australia)
Current regulations
In Australia, a prescription is required to access nicotine vaping products (NVPs). Therapeutic vapes are currently considered an unapproved product, there are no therapeutic vapes for smoking cessation or the management nicotine dependence included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Health Practitioners (including psychiatrists) can continue to prescribe NVPs via the Authorised Prescriber Scheme or the Special Access Scheme (SAS) including SAS B and SAS C. Prescribers can only prescribe vapes that can be lawfully supplied. Prescribers can stay up-to-date on the list of lawfully supplied, notified vapes via the TGA website.
Under the Authorised Prescriber Scheme, prescribers can prescribe a NVP (classed as an ‘unapproved product’) for multiple patients. Authorised prescribers are required to report the total number of patients treated every 6 months and for every unapproved product authorised that is provided access for their patients.
Under the SAS B pathway, prescribers can continue to prescribe therapeutic vapes for a single patient on a case-by-case basis.
Under the new SAS C pathway, prescribers can prescribe therapeutic vapes without requiring pre-authority or approval from the TGA. Prescribers will be required to notify the TGA within 28 days of prescribing.
As of 1 March 2024, the personal importation scheme ends. Prescribers can no longer write a script for a single patient to access NVPs for personal importation. Even with a prescription, consumers can no longer lawfully order NVPs from overseas.
To stay up to date on the latest vaping regulatory changes, please visit the TGA Vaping Hub
Vaping reforms (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Current regulations
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Ministry of Health’s Vaping Regulatory Authority is responsible for the regulation of vaping products and smokeless tobacco products. Vaping products (including nicotine vaping products) do not require a prescription from a medical professional for people over the age of 18.
The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 outlines how vaping products (along with herbal smoking and smokeless tobacco products) are regulated in Aotearoa New Zealand.
To stay up to date on the latest vaping regulatory changes, please see Ministry of Health Vaping, Herbal Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco Products Regulation
RANZCP Smoking Cessation Education Project 2021 - 2022
Disclaimer: As the regulatory landscape evolves, the information provided in the following resources may be out-of-date. For the most current and accurate information, please visit the TGA Vaping Hub or the RACGP Provisional Guidance for more information.
- Smoking Cessation for Mental Health Clinicians - LearnIt Module [Member sign-in required]
- Smoking cessation and vaping resources – Webinar
- Talking smoking cessation - Podcast
- E-cigarettes and smoking cessation - Podcast
These resources have been produced by the RANZCP with financial support from the Australian Government through the Department of Health. The information contained herein may include the views or recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth or indicate its commitment to a particular course of action.
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