The Department of Corrections is encouraging prisoners to sing and eat carrots to quit smoking.
Prisons become smoke-free and inmates lose the right to smoke from 1 July. Of the approximately 8700 people in jails, about two-thirds are thought to be smokers.
General manager for prison services Brendan Anstiss says almost 70% of prisoners who smoke are taking part in nicotine replacement therapy.
The department is also offering prisoners a variety of activities and healthy food to help cope with withdrawal symptoms.
The activities included singing and sports events such as touch rugby and healthy eating options such as muesli bars, banana chips, dried apricots and carrots.
Mr Anstiss says prisoners are being offered nicotine patches or lozenges and have the option of reading a well-known quit smoking book.
A spokesperson for the Howard League for Penal Reform, Jarrod Gilbert, says though eating carrots and singing are amusing ways to get inmates to stop smoking, it will be difficult for them and stressful for staff.
"At the heart of this ... is a fairly serious issue - weaning off heavily addicted smokers in a stressful environment. I genuinely feel for the staff, because I think it really will be a tough time for them."
The ban will almost certainly lead to inmates smuggling cigarettes into prisons, Mr Gilbert says.
