For Adriana, the decision to stop smoking was driven by one thing above all else – her health.
Living with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an ulcerated artery in her leg and plantar fasciitis, she knew smoking was making it harder to manage her health and that it was time to make a change.
Although Adriana had tried to quit before, she found it difficult to stay smokefree. After COVID, she managed to stop smoking for three months by switching to an alternative tobacco product, but stress eventually led her back to cigarettes.
"I used to tell myself, 'I'll stop smoking tomorrow,' but tomorrow would come and I still wouldn't stop."
When Adriana first contacted Yorkshire Smokefree in Barnsley, she admits she wasn't confident she would succeed. This time, however, she had the support of the telephone service and a structured quit plan.
Throughout her journey, Adriana used a combination of nicotine replacement therapies, including 25mg patches, mouth spray, an inhalator and lozenges. She found each one helpful at different stages, but says the inhalator became her biggest source of support. She also occasionally used a nicotine-free vape to help break old habits.
"The inhalator really helped me stop smoking."
Alongside NRT, Adriana found encouragement through the Yorkshire Smokefree Facebook community, where reading other people's success stories reminded her that becoming smokefree was achievable.
She also says that attending regular face-to-face appointments made a huge difference.
"Having the carbon monoxide breath test at my appointments kept me motivated and helped me stay on track."
Since quitting smoking, Adriana has noticed a number of positive changes. She says she feels healthier, has started treating herself with the money she has saved, and is looking forward to going on holiday.
"Instead of spending my money on cigarettes, I now have money in my purse to spend on myself."
Her health has also begun to improve. Adriana has seen reductions in both her blood pressure and cholesterol levels, giving her extra motivation to remain smokefree.
She has even noticed changes to her daily habits.
"I used to always have a coffee with a cigarette, but now I don't enjoy coffee as much. My mouth feels much cleaner since I stopped smoking."
Looking back, Adriana believes that staying motivated and making use of the support available were key to her success. The regular appointments, ongoing encouragement from her advisor and seeing her carbon monoxide readings improve all helped reinforce how far she had come.
Today, Adriana is proud to be smokefree and is enjoying the health, financial and lifestyle benefits that come with leaving cigarettes behind. Her story shows that even if you've tried to quit before, every quit attempt brings you closer to success, and with the right support, it is possible to stop smoking for good.
