Hi, I'm Dr. Vinka, and I'm passionate about helping all our mob kick the smokes and vapes, no shame.
So today, I'm gonna have a yarn with a few young people and talk about their stories and quit journeys, and how they've managed to keep at quitting. Let's go.
I did notice it become a habit at a very early stage. Probably as soon as I noticed that I started getting a smoker's cough.
I noticed the negative side of it when it was affecting my mood and affecting my stamina when I was trying to play netball.
And it was starting to take over me, uh, where I was obviously needing that nicotine hit.
I quit the first time when I was pregnant with my first son, and then I've quit again now that I'm pregnant with my second son.
This time, I am a little bit older, and I have matured a bit more emotionally and understand more about myself and my grief and the stress.
I think a big change was I was trying to be more health conscious, so I'm getting out more, trying to eat better, trying to drink less.
So I think that was definitely a big push. I was at work one day with one of my work mates, and he decided as well he wanted to quit vaping.
So I was like, "Sweet. Well this is our last one, and then we're doing it." He goes, "Absolutely." And so me and him are on a journey together, and we're both going very strong.
I feel really good.
I didn't think that I was that much of a smoker until I actually quit and realised how much different I feel when I'm not smoking.
When I say I've quit, I feel, like, a massive sense of pride because I've grown up around smokers my whole life, and I've seen how difficult it is to beat the habit, so I really feel like I've broken a cycle. When I first started, it was very tough. The first week was very tough.
But once you get past that first week, it really opens up your mind, and you feel somewhat more energised.
To beat the habit and stick at it, I started doing small things at first, like walking and reading, playing with my son, and even just reaching out to friends and family so I could stay strong.
I guess it's different for everyone, but definitely I would say speak to your doctor if you are thinking of quitting. My friends and family were extremely supportive.
At times when I felt like maybe I couldn't do it, they also didn't pressure me and make me feel bad about it.
Having that all-around support whether I did it or not.
My family and my friends, look, the problem is 'cause you have tried multiple times in the past, they take it with a, with a grain of salt, so...
But when they actually see you going through it and see that you are making the changes and how much it's benefiting you, they see how much it's affecting your life in a positive way, that's when they start like, "Oh," you know, "he's actually doing it." I would say to my friends and family if they wanted to start their quit journey, first, be really kind with yourself around it, 'cause it is extremely difficult, and two, try and form new habits.
Possibly having another friend who's wanting to partake the journey with you can help as well, so you can always keep each other accountable.
Don't. Don't take up smoking. That's what I would say. You can really damage your health by smoking and vaping, so it's not worth it.
Look forward 10 years and understand maybe the difficulty of trying to quit, and that it's easier just not to pick it up in the first place.
Remember, smoking or vaping isn't who you are or who we are as mob, and quitting really is worth it. There's heaps of help and support out there to quit.
Get your mates to help you, check out the My QuitBuddy app, contact the Quitline, or have a yarn with a health worker or a doctor like me.
You'll find what works for you. Just keep at quitting.