Jac proves that you should never give up on quitting smoking

Jac, 61, started smoking at 11 years old and quit on and off before finally quitting for good in 2020 with the support of Yorkshire Smokefree Sheffield. 

Over the years, Jac stopped smoking for periods of time, including being smokefree for 15 years after giving up for her first pregnancy. However, she’d always relapse again due to work stress.

Stress is a common trigger, as people often see smoking as a way to calm down and relieve feelings of anxiety. This is because nicotine is a mood-altering drug and it seems to positively affect bad feelings. However, evidence shows that smoking actually increases stress, anxiety and tension.

Smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day took its toll on Jac, and she started experiencing breathing difficulties. Doctors diagnosed her with COPD in 2018, which led to her cutting down on smoking. Two years later she was ready to give quitting another go. After speaking to her GP about wanting to quit, Jac was referred to the Yorkshire Smokefree Sheffield service and given an advisor who recommended the stop smoking medicine Champix.

“Champix helped with my cravings straight away and made it much easier than my previous quit attempt.”

Jac really wanted to quit for her physical health and with weekly meetings and personalised support, she went smokefree.

“The praise and encouragement really helped. It made me feel so good about myself. The text messages I used to get, reminding me how many days I’d been smokefree, were really helpful.”

She is already feeling the difference.

“I struggled with walking. After so long I’d get really wheezy and breathless. I couldn’t keep up with other people. I was always at the back, walking behind everyone else. I had chest infection after chest infection. Now I’ve not had one for 12 months.”