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.
