15/04/2026
I read Kirsty Lichtensteinโs article in the West Australian on Thursday April 9 on the cost of quitting smoking with interest, and I believe it highlights an important issue โ but also misses a critical distinction.
In 2018, the Australian Government moved all codeine products as โby prescription onlyโ behind the counter due to their physical addictiveness. If ni****ne were comparably addictive in a purely chemical sense, ci******es would logically require a prescription as well. They do not โ and that raises an important question about how we understand smoking.
After working with smokers as a Hypnotherapist for more than 22 years, it becomes clear that smoking is far less about ni****ne dependence and far more about deeply ingrained habit. A pack-a-day smoker reinforces the behaviour hundreds of puffs daily. Over time, the subconscious links smoking (and va**ng for that matter) to relief, routine, and familiarity โ not because it is genuinely beneficial, but because it is repeatedly paired with everyday experiences.
This is where many pharmaceutical cessation approaches fall short. When the focus is placed solely on replacing ni****ne, the underlying behavioural pattern often remains untouched.
I agree that cost can be a barrier to quitting. However, reframing smoking as a learned behavioural pattern โ rather than a purely chemical dependency โ opens the door to faster, more accessible solutions that do not rely on ongoing pharmaceutical expense.
If we are serious about reducing smoking rates, we must broaden the conversation beyond ni****ne alone and address the habitual and psychological drivers that keep people stuck.
