Darren found out about our services through his local pharmacist and was able to access the help he needed right away. Today Darren shares his story to help inspire others who may be thinking about going smoke free, after smoking since the age of 11.

He wanted to give up smoking as he was motivated to start cycling again, but he noticed he’d quickly became breathless and his chest would tighten up. Darren believes this was due to smoking  between 10-15 cigarettes a day from such a young age.

After noticing his pain and moving into a newly decorated home earlier in the year, Darren mentioned that he “didn’t want the house to smell of smoke or, yellow discolouring to appear on walls or windows”. This is when Darren decided to make a positive change and welcome a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Finding a Suitable Exchange

He started off with the nicotine replacement inhalators but, then moved on to the nicotine lozenges. “I found the lozenges gave me the taste of the nicotine which I wanted but also with the minty taste. They definitely helped with the cravings.”

Getting the Right Support 

Darren advises anyone who’s looking to quit smoking to seek the help of a stop smoking adviser: “The weekly phone calls really helped” and he found Julie “very friendly and encouraging…even when I slipped up she was not judgemental”.

Since quitting smoking, he finds that he does not get easily breathless on his cycle rides and he’s pleased to report that his sense of taste and smell have both reappeared.

Darren’s adviser Julie says: “Darren started his quit in late September 2020 as he felt he was smoking more during COVID19. Darren has had several obstacles to overcome with his health and losing his job but he has kept going. Well done Darren!”

If you would like advice and support to quit smoking you can contact our friendly One You Plymouth team on 01752 437177 or email: [email protected].