Quit & avoid smoke

A woman smiling

Quit is our hugely successful statewide quit smoking organisation.

Cancerous chemicals

Smoke contains over 60 chemicals known to cause cancer. Certain chemicals in tobacco smoke damage an important gene called p53. The p53 gene is found in the nucleus of every cell in the human body, and its main role is to prevent cancer cells evolving. Cigarette smoke is the main cause of p53 mutations in lung cancer.

About 1 in 5 cancer deaths in Australia can be attributed to smoking. More than 10,000 Australians are diagnosed with a smoking-related cancer each year. Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer caused by smoking – more than 80% of lung cancer cases are caused by it.

Smoking also causes cancer of the larynx, oropharynx, bladder, mouth, lip, tongue, nose, nasal sinus, cervix, ureter, bone marrow (myeloid leukaemia), pancreas and stomach.

There are associations between smoking and colorectal and liver cancers.

For more on the association between smoking and cancer see the National Cancer Prevention Policy 2007-09 on Cancer Council Australia's website.

Quitting

The good news is that it's never to late to stop. The younger you are, and the sooner you stop, the better. Even smokers who quit at the age of 60 can reduce their chance of getting cancer and other diseases.

Call the Quitline 13 7848

Ask for a free Quit pack to be mailed to you. Or a trained Quitline adviser can help you with practical and expert advice.

Visit the Quit website for a range of ways you can quit smoking. Order a FREE Quit pack online, browse a step-by-step guide and find out more about the Quitline and Quit courses.

Join the QuitCoach

The QuitCoach asks you questions and uses your answers to give advice that's suited to you. Each time you visit the site, your latest answers are used, together with answers from your previous visits, to give you advice that takes into account any changes you've made.

Avoid secondhand smoke

Even if you don’t smoke, breathing in other people’s cigarette smoke can increase your risk of cancer. Make sure that you and your family are smokefree.