Annette

local wakefield woman quits smoking stop cigarettes tobacco

After smoking for 28 years, Wakefield resident Annette has officially quit smoking! Here is how she found the journey to becoming smoke-free!

 

Please tell us approximately how old you were when you started smoking?
I was a teenager, around 15 or 16.

How many years have you smoked?
I smoked for 28 years.

Do you remember why you started smoking?
My friend encouraged me to smoke at 15 as she had a pack of 20 and we had to smoke them all, so her mum didn’t find them. It made me sick, so I didn’t do it again for nearly a year. Then my school friends pressured me to start again just before I left school, and I just wanted to fit in.

How many cigarettes per day were you smoking on average?
I was smoking around 16 to 20 cigarettes a day.

What were your reasons for quitting?
I was admitted to hospital with a severe asthma attack and had an overnight stay in ICU followed by a week in the hospital. I was surrounded by much older people around 60-80 years old, and I am only 44, so this had a massive impact on me, and I thought I shouldn’t be here at my age! I no longer enjoyed smoking anymore, and this was the perfect time to quit and hopefully never be there again.

How did you access stop smoking support?
I had one to one, group and telephone support.

Did you use stop smoking medication to help you quit? 
Yes, Champix, I found it really easy as I had no cravings or mood swings, I thought it would be really hard to stop but the thought of stopping was much harder than actually stopping. I have found it really positive in so many ways, and it gave me the strength to say no when I was stressed or bored and a cigarette would have normally been my go-to and stress reliever.

How helpfully did you find the support you received? 
Excellent, they were very helpful.

Has your health improved since you quit?
Yes, I feel so much healthier!


If you feel inspired by Annette's story and would like support in quitting smoking, register for a Callback Request today.

Find us on Facebook Subscribe to us on YouTube Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram