A brilliant story from Martin, who is now officially smoke free! With support along the way from friends and Yorkshire Smokefree, Martin has quit his 30-40 cigars a day habit and is saving a whopping £90 a week!
The cost of smoking plus awareness of the dangerous side effects was the trigger for Martin to say, enough is enough. He reached out to Yorkshire Smokefree and started accessing the service at his local hospital, which fitted in perfectly with his lifestyle as he was there regularly with work.
Martin and his friend often visited the service together; they both loved the competition of seeing who could blow the lowest reading on the carbon monoxide monitor every time they visited! Having the support of a friend going through the same journey was a key factor in both gents’ success.
Martin was prescribed a course of Champix which he said “really worked to take the enjoyment out of smoking” plus with a few changes in routine and regular support calls and text messages, he managed to stay focused on his journey.
He found the support from hospital advisers really helpful and in his own words says…
“It’s been a treat to attend and I always looked forward to my appointments as they were supportive but also enjoyable – giving me tips to keep smoke free. They were fun to come to with my friend as we kept each other going by joking our way through it.”
Martin is now 12 weeks smoke free and he feels healthier than ever – the wheezing has gone and he has more free time as he’s not having to go to the shop as often. He’s particularly proud of stopping and can finally say “I’ve done it!”
So, what’s Martin done with this health boost and extra cash in his pocket?
“I’ve bought myself a treadmill and I’m running five miles a night. I really feel the benefits of quitting!”
Well done, Martin! If you feel inspired to start your own smoke free journey, register for a callback from an NHS adviser at https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/pages/callback-request
