A former smoker who quit after 50 years has urged others to seek support to stop this No Smoking Day. The March 8 event is an annual awareness day which aims to encourage those ready to give up the habit. SmokeFree Hull is on-hand to help anyone who wants to stop, with free support, advice and aids like nicotine patches or gum.
Hull resident Rosemary Berry, 68, smoked for half a century before quitting a year ago. She said the decision has improved her life and health and given her unexpected freedom now her life is no longer structured around cigarettes.
She said: “I started smoking due to peer pressure when I was 17 years old. It was the thing to do at that time, and there didn’t seem to be much publicity about the dangers of smoking back then, it was just seen as cool. I smoked 20 cigarettes a day ever since, for roughly 50 years.
“I tried a few times to quit, initially trying on my own and lasted about six weeks. A few years later I came to SmokeFree Hull, the local stop smoking service, and quit three or four times. I was always embarrassed to come back to the service, and tried to do it myself initially, but I never really had the motivation.
“The final straw was when I went to get a lung health check from my GP. The reading was clear, but I wanted to keep it that way. I struggle with asthma as well and I decided that I wanted to get healthy.
“The lung health check programme referred me to SmokeFree Hull again, and I started my treatment on nicotine patches and an inhalator. I didn’t really experience any cravings whilst on the stop smoking products, the inhalator gave me the ‘hand to mouth’ action that I needed from smoking, and the patches dulled my other cravings.
“Since stopping smoking, I can now walk and talk at the same time without being out of breath. I really enjoy walking and now my breathing is so much easier, I have more endurance. My family are delighted that I’ve stopped smoking, I can play with my grandchildren for longer, and I just feel much healthier in myself.
“I feel like I have more time too. Smoking structured my life, I would always be thinking where my next cigarette would be coming from, at work, on my break, at home, so I have more time to focus on other things now.
“One of the biggest changes is the money. I’ve been able to put aside the spare money that I would have spent on cigarettes into a separate bank account, so I can treat myself. I’ve bought clothes, been on trips away to Cornwall last summer, and my friend and I are looking into going to Dundee too. It’s nice knowing that I have this extra money now, and I keep it separate so I can see my achievement. I also used the stop smoking app, which is great to calculate how much you’re saving to keep you motivated!”
Rosemary didn’t shy away from the difficulties with stopping, but said the support she received – and her own desire not to smoke any more – made it possible.
“It is difficult at first: my husband smokes and I could still smell it everywhere, but now he smokes outside. I feel sorry for people who smoke now, stood out in the cold, having that fear of running out of cigarettes.
I think what worked this time over my last attempts was that I was honest with myself and my Stop Smoking Advisor Jo. I had cheated before, and had the odd slip up, but this time I knew I was smokefree and that Jo was on the line if I needed help. My advice to anyone wanting to stop smoking would be to try it, you might not succeed this time, but keep trying as there’s nothing to be afraid of.
“It’s got to be the right time in your life to quit. It was the right time for me, I’m 68 years old and I didn’t want to ruin my life – if I didn’t do it now I never would. My stepfather died of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and heart failure, in his mid-70s and he suffered for a long time.
“The SmokeFree Hull service are really friendly, and Jo was helpful, always there to talk with no condemnation. She was warm and supportive, giving me praise, which I respond really well to, and the service can be flexible with your products as well. I had remote support on the telephone as it fitted in well with my work schedule, the service is really built around your personal needs which is fantastic.
“It’s great to be free of cigarettes, I’m not beholden to them anymore, which makes life, travelling and family easier.
“I’ve now been smokefree for a one year and nine days which is really satisfying”.
Cllr Linda Chambers, Portfolio Holder for Public Health, said: “It’s hard to add anything to what Rosemary has already said! Hers is a fantastic success story and really captures the spirit of No Smoking Day and the importance of smokers knowing that it has to be the right time for them, and that it’s ok to need multiple attempts to quit.
“We have historically very high smoking rates here in Hull and we know that people have barriers to quitting. The support form SmokeFree Hull can help address those, and lets people access the free support and advice they need to be able to quit successfully”.
Tracy Mikkelsen Edwards, Service Manager for SmokeFree Hull, said: “Wow, what an achievement after 50 years of smoking. It is great to see how Rosemary’s life has been positively impacted due to stopping.
“Every year we see more residents of Hull engage with the service ready to quit smoking. We have a dedicated, experienced, and passionate team at Smokefree Hull ready to support you to lead a healthy life. We know that every journey to a smokefree future is different, that’s why we offer support tailored to the individual’s needs. You don’t have to quit alone, why not give us a call, or send us a message today”.
Visit todayistheday.co.uk for more information about No Smoking Day. For free help to quit, visit changegrowlive.org/smoke-free-hull/home, call: (01482) 977 617 or speak to your GP.
