Close the Gap

Quit For New Life (QFNL)

What is Quit For New Life?

The Quit for new life program is a smoking cessation support initiative for pregnant and postnatal Aboriginal women. The program is an initiative of the Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health (MOH) in partnership with Kids and Families NSW.

The Quit for new life program aims to contribute to a reduction in tobacco related harm from maternal smoking and environmental tobacco smoke among women who identify as having an Aboriginal baby.

Smoking while pregnant contributes to an increased risk of a broad range of obstetric and infant complications, including pregnancy and labour complications, stillbirth, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In addition to these risks from maternal smoking, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is also a risk during pregnancy, and harms both the mother and foetus.

In 2011, the smoking prevalence among pregnant Aboriginal women in NSW was 52.2% compared with just 10% in non-Aboriginal pregnant women.
The NSW 2021 State Plan and NSW Tobacco Strategy 2012-2017 identifies women who smoke in pregnancy as a target group. The target is to reduce the rate of smoking by 2% per year for pregnant Aboriginal women and 0.5% for non-Aboriginal pregnant women.

The Health Promotion Service is working with the antenatal clinics, Aboriginal and Maternal Infant Health Services (AMIHS) and the Child & Family Health teams home visiting teams. The program is delivered as part of routine clinical practice as women attend antenatal and postnatal care.

The Quit for new life program comprises two key components: provision of cessation support strategies to women and their household members and practice change strategies for service providers.

Further information
Contact Natasha McEwan on 02 4640 3544 or email Natasha.McEwan@sswahs.nsw.gov.au