Smoking and vaping

PRECONCEPTION HEALTH

SMOKING AND VAPING

Key things to know

Quitting smoking or vaping improves fertility and pregnancy health.
Nicotine, whether in cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, can affect your baby’s development.
Chemicals in vapes may cause DNA damage, which can put your future baby’s health at risk.
Both partners can play a positive role by supporting each other to quit before the baby bump.

Before the baby bump describes the time before you are pregnant, when you might be thinking about having a baby, or starting to try for one. It is called preconception.

Quitting smoking and avoiding e-cigarettes (vapes) supports healthier eggs and sperm, a stronger pregnancy, and improved long-term outcomes for both parents and children.

Making the decision to stop smoking or vaping is one of the most powerful steps you can take to improve your fertility and give your future baby the best possible start.

Quitting smoking before the bump can significantly reduce the risk of miscarriage. Research shows the risk increases by about 1% for every cigarette smoked per day (Pineles, et al., 2014).

Based on the Quit and Your Fertility interactive tool, each month without smoking or vaping has a positive effect on your health and your future child.

	1 month	2 months	3 months	4 months	6 months
Females	As soon as you stop smoking, your fertility begins to improve. Your body is better at fighting infection.	Your lungs are starting to heal as cilia, the tiny hairs that clean your lungs, begin to recover from paralysing tobacco toxins. You are coughing and wheezing less.	You have now reduced the risk of your baby being born prematurely to the same level of risk for non-smokers.	Your blood is less thick and sticky, reducing your risk of harmful clots.	Your stress levels have lowered to ‘non-smoking’ levels.
Males	It’s never too late to quit. No matter how long you’ve smoked, stopping now will start to improve your sperm health.	Your lungs are repairing. Your lung function is improving, making it easier to clear mucus and reducing your risk of infection.	Sperm take 3 months to develop, so you now have smoke free, healthy sperm.	Your lung function has improved significantly, reducing coughing and shortness of breath.	Your stress levels have lowered to ‘non-smoking’ levels.

Myth busting

'I only need to stop smoking when I fall pregnant.'

'I can cut down cigarettes to be healthier, rather than stop all together.'

'I can use e-cigarettes to quit.'

Facts

There are lots of benefits to quitting smoking or vaping.

What Happens After You Quit: Body Timeline

Time Since Quitting	What Happens in Your Body
20 minutes	Heart rate and blood pressure drop to normal.
8 hours	Carbon monoxide levels fall; oxygen levels rise.
24 hours	Risk of heart attack already starts to drop.
48 hours	Sense of taste and smell improve. Nerve endings begin to regrow.
72 hours	Breathing feels easier as bronchial tubes relax. Energy levels rise.
2–12 weeks	Circulation improves. Physical activity feels easier.
3–9 months	Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Lung function improves by up to 10%.
1 year	Risk of coronary heart disease halves compared to a smoker.
5 years	Risk of stroke is like that of a non-smoker.
10 years	Risk of lung cancer is halved.

Fact sheets

Checklist for women

Download : Checklist for women

Checklist for men

Download : Checklist for men

Wait! There’s more

More Money

In 2025, the average cost of a 20-pack of cigarettes in Australia is $45, with the average Australian smoker spending approximately $36 each day*. Vaping is not as expensive

1 week = $252 saved

1 month = $1,080 saved

6 months = $6,480 saved

1 year = $13,140 saved

That’s not just money saved from not buying cigarettes – you will also likely spend less on healthcare, insurance premiums, and dental costs.

*Based on 16 cigarettes a day average

More Energy

Smoking can affect your lungs, sleep, and blood circulation. Quitting smoking improves lung function, boosts energy, helps you sleep better, and supports healthier circulation.

More Zen

Smoking and vaping are often used to reduce stress, but research shows they actually increase anxiety and tension. Quitting smoking won’t remove stress, but it can help you handle it more effectively.

Better Immunity

Smoking and vaping reduce your ability to fight infections. Quitting can reduce the number of times you get sick, and help you recover faster.

Work as a team

Couples who quit smoking or vaping together are more likely to stay smoke-free. They are also more likely to conceive naturally and sooner than couples who continue smoking or vaping.

Passive smoking or vaping can also affect pregnancy. Exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and indoor vaping releases tiny chemical particles that can be harmful to breathe.

If your partner is not ready to quit, ask them not to smoke or vape near you when you start trying for a baby.

Support resources

The facts about vaping

Know the facts about smoking

Smoking or vaping in pregnancy and early life

Support services

Quitline
- Quit for you…Quit for Baby – A free, tailored, confidential support program with an optional 12-week supply of nicotine replacement patches and gum or lozenges
- Call 137848
- Request a call
- Smoking Cost Calculator
Pave – Aimed at younger adults (14-24 years), this app helps with tools to plan, track progress and know what to expect when quitting or already on a vape-free journey.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2025). Australia’s mothers and babies. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies

Bayly, M and Scollo, MM. 13.3 How much do tobacco products cost in Australia?. In Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria; 2025. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-13-taxation/13-3-how-much-do-tobacco-products-cost-in-australia

Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Bayly, M. 2.3 Self-reported measures of tobacco consumption. In Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria; 2025. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-2-consumption/2-3-self-reported-measures-of-tobacco-consumption

Greenhalgh, EM, Stillman, S and Ford, C. 7.1 Health and other benefits of quitting. In Greenhalgh, EM, Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria; 2020. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-7-cessation/7-1-health-and-other-benefits-of-quitting

Pineles, B. L., Park, E., & Samet, J. M. (2014). Systematic review and meta-analysis of miscarriage and maternal exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy. American journal of epidemiology, 179(7), 807–823. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwt334

Smoking cost data – Based on data from the National Health Survey, the average daily cigarette consumption in 2022-23 was 16 cigarettes per day, which is approximately $36/day.