Wayne

What was your main reason for accessing the service? E.g. health, finances, COVID – 19 or other …..

Health reasons.

Did you believe you could achieve 4 weeks Smokefree?

I knew I could, but not without any help. I knew it was possible, but the help from the service is what did it really.

Have you used stop smoking medication to help you quit?

Patches, mouth spray and nicotine chewing gum.

How helpful did you find it?

The products were very good. The mouth spray was very effective in getting rid of cravings but the taste was awful.

Apart from medication, what else helped you to quit and stay smoke-free?

Getting the phone calls from the service really helped by getting encouragement and support. Obviously a bit of willpower and determination as well but speaking to you guys really helped massively.

Has your health improved since you quit and if so, in what ways?

To start with I was getting headaches and feeling a little worse after quitting. But after that, I felt more energetic and not wheezing on a night when lying in bed. Also, my clothes smell nicer.

Other than health, have you achieved anything since quitting that you couldn’t do whilst smoking?

There are plenty of things I would like to do with the increased energy I have. But I still have other commitments such as work which makes this hard to do still.

What have you found helpful in accessing the service via the Telephone?

With being so busy with work, working away, and on the road a lot with my job, it would be near impossible to have F2F visits. But having telephone calls with yourselves has made it so much more easier and convenient.

I would tell my younger self, don't be an idiot, look after your health and don't waste money on cigarettes because life is just too short.