Hello, I’m Charlotte from Wakefield! I started smoking at the age of just 14 years old, influenced by the idea of being cool and a lot of peer pressure. Move forward 25 years and I found myself entangled in a daily routine of smoking anywhere from 16 to 20 cigarettes a day. When my eldest child started high school and my 40th birthday was fast approaching I felt it was time I made a change.
In my first step of wanting to have a smoke-free life, I reached out to the Wakefield stop smoking service, Yorkshire Smokefree. Using both patches and gum, I also had weekly calls with my advisor Carol and leaned heavily on the support of my family.
As my smoke-free journey began, not only did my health improve but I noticed a significant lift on the financial burden of smoking. I stopped having to borrow money from family and friends. To celebrate becoming smoke-free, I treated myself and my family to a luxury holiday which was the best feeling!
Since quitting, my life has had so many positive changes! The constant urgency to buy cigarettes and having to borrow money has vanished, winter chest infections are a thing of the past and I’m no longer having to stand outside in the freezing cold smoking a cigarette!
If I could go back to my younger self or to someone who has just started smoking, I would say, “Don’t do it. It’ll be your biggest regret. The impact it has on your wallet, health, children and life is immense and it also ruined my nice teeth which I am now paying to fix.”
