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How these guides are written and reviewed →
No treatment, inhaler or exercise programme does more for a smoker's lungs and heart than stopping smoking. It slows the decline in lung function, reduces flare-ups, chest infections and heart attacks, and helps every other treatment work better. Quitting is hard — nicotine is genuinely addictive — but the right support and medication roughly triple your chance of success. This page explains the benefits and where to get help; there is no judgement here, only support.
Why it matters most
Smoking is the leading cause of COPD and a major driver of heart disease, lung cancer and many other conditions. For someone with a heart or lung condition, stopping is the highest-value change available — it is a core part of pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, not an optional extra.
It's never too late — the benefits over time
| Time after quitting | What happens |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes – 24 hours | Heart rate and blood pressure settle; carbon monoxide clears from the blood. |
| Days – weeks | Sense of taste and smell improve; breathing feels easier. |
| 1 – 12 months | Coughing and breathlessness ease; the lungs' cleaning system recovers, so fewer chest infections. |
| 1 year | Risk of heart attack roughly halves compared with continuing to smoke. |
| Years on | The decline in lung function slows to nearer that of a non-smoker; stroke and cancer risks keep falling. |
What actually works
The most effective approach combines behavioural support with medication:1
- Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) — patches for a steady background level, plus a fast-acting form (gum, lozenge, mouth spray) for cravings. Using two together works better than one.
- Prescription medicines — such as varenicline or bupropion, discussed with your GP.
- Behavioural support & coaching — from Quitline, your GP or pharmacist, which markedly improves success.
Most people make several attempts before quitting for good — a lapse is not failure, just useful information for the next attempt.
A note on vaping
E-cigarettes are used by some people as a quitting aid, but they are not risk-free and are not a first-line, TGA-approved therapy. If you're considering vaping to quit, discuss it with your GP so it's done safely and with a plan to stop vaping too. In Australia, nicotine vapes are accessed through a pharmacy pathway.
Quitline: 13 7848 (13 QUIT) — free, confidential coaching. Also speak to your GP or pharmacist about medication. And ask us — supporting you to stop is part of your rehabilitation at Inspire Clinic.
How Inspire Clinic helps
Stopping smoking sits within your rehabilitation. We'll raise it supportively, help you set a quit date and plan, point you to the right medication and coaching, and pair it with breathing techniques and cardiorespiratory rehabilitation so you feel the benefits quickly. See also COPD and Your Plan for Managing Your Condition.2
References & evidence base
- Hartmann-Boyce J, Chepkin SC, Ye W, et al. Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018;(5):CD000146.
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Supporting smoking cessation: a guide for health professionals. 2nd ed. Melbourne: RACGP, 2021.
References are numbered in citation order (Vancouver/BMJ style) and were current at the time of writing. Guidelines are living documents — verify against the latest version before clinical use.
Everything starts with an assessment — your symptoms, breathing, exercise tolerance and daily function measured properly, so what follows is built on your lungs rather than an average.
Corrections: If something on this page is wrong, out of date or unclear, we want to know. Email reception@inspireclinic.au with the page name and what you believe is incorrect. Substantive corrections are made promptly, and the guide’s version and last-updated date are changed to reflect it.