Quitting helped Robert become a better role model

“I started smoking at 15 because my family did at home, it was normal. But I didn’t want that for my girlfriend’s little boy. I knew I was the only person who could help make sure he never started smoking.”

This wasn’t the first time Robert, 31 had tried to quit and it took some time to find the right stop smoking method for him.

Robert’s first attempt involved using Champix which is one of the most effective stop smoking medications. But he struggled with nausea – a side effect that may happen to more than 1 in 100 people who use it. Robert’s experience shows that not every method works for everyone.

With support from a stop smoking specialist, Champix could work for you. But for Robert, he discovered something else suited him more. He turned to the UK’s most popular quit aid: e-cigarettes.

E-cigs were great for Robert as he didn’t have to change his usual habits and routine.

Research shows that smokers who used them as part of their quitting attempts were more likely to be successful than people who didn’t.

“I found the switch from normal cigarettes to an e-cigarette easy but found reducing the nicotine content of the liquid was hard. Starting on top strengths, the first few steps down were fine. But as the nicotine content of the liquid got lower, it became more of a struggle.”

After some time and with support from the stop smoking service at the pharmacy, Robert got used to the lower strengths and began to find it manageable. He could tell he wasn’t addicted to nicotine anymore but was more addicted to the habit and action of smoking.

E-cigarettes mirror the action of smoking so can be a fantastic quitting aid for people. They were the perfect quitting tool for Robert as it meant he kept his usual smoking patterns.

“I used to go on my dinner breaks to smoke. But now I take that time for myself to get some fresh air, go for a walk and get some exercise.”

After a few quitting attempts, Robert has been successfully smokefree since 2016. And he has some advice.

“Just because you relapse, don’t beat yourself up. You might have a bad day, as everybody does, and just have one cigarette. That one cigarette isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you have to give up and go back to your normal smoking habits. Just because you make a mistake it doesn’t mean you should stop trying. It’s cliche, everybody says it, but you will feel better for quitting further down the line.”

As Robert’s story shows, it’s normal to take a few attempts to quit smoking for good. Each try brings you a step closer to success. We’ll be here to help you make that positive change and begin your smokefree journey too.