Do you need a referral for a smoking cessation programme?

Smoking cessation support is usually tailored to your tobacco use, triggers, previous attempts, health conditions, and preferences. Sessions may help you choose a quit date, manage cravings, plan for difficult situations, and handle slips without abandoning the plan.

A family-medicine clinician or another trained professional can review medicines, nicotine replacement options, and interactions with your current treatment. A referral may be useful when smoking is linked with pregnancy, breathing symptoms, mental-health concerns, or a complex medical history.

Contact the programme and ask whether you can self-enrol, whether an assessment is required, and what support formats are available. Before the first session, note how often you smoke, when cravings are strongest, and what helped or hindered earlier quit attempts.

Tell the clinician about all tobacco and nicotine products, including shisha, vaping, and smokeless tobacco. Agree on a practical plan for cravings, remove smoking supplies where possible, and ask how follow-up support will work.

Seek urgent medical care for severe chest pressure, major breathing difficulty, coughing blood, fainting, or sudden weakness. Smoking cessation support can continue alongside urgent assessment, but these symptoms need immediate attention rather than waiting for a programme appointment.

Ask: Can I join without a referral? Which quit-support options suit my health history? What should I do when cravings peak? Could any cessation medicine interact with my medicines? What support is available after my planned quit date?