Kevin, 48, started smoking when he joined the Army at age 16 and before he became smokefree, he was smoking around 30 cigarettes a day. After several unsuccessful quit attempts, Kevin has now been smokefree for nearly 12 weeks and is enjoying the better health, wealth, lifestyle and life expectancy this can bring.
Kevin decided to quit smoking for good after 32 years for his daughters. Their encouragement spurred him on to get in contact with our stop smoking support services. He called our friendly wellbeing team and was promptly put in contact with one of our expert NHS Health Improvement Practitioners – Alison.
During their first appointment, they talked about why Kevin smoked and why he wanted to quit. They then selected a quit date together. To help Kevin on his quit journey, Alison talked through all the nicotine replacement products available, and he decided he wanted to give vaping a go. Alison organised a free vaping kit to be sent to Kevin’s address which consisted of a vape and a month’s supply of vaping fluids. Kevin said: “I have not had one single craving for a cigarette since using the vape. It feels like smoking and I liked that it gave me something to do with my hands which I missed since quitting smoking. Even at Christmas, when I met up with my army friends who all smoke, I did not even think about cigarettes even though they were smoking around me because I had my vape. Even though I was drinking alcohol, which has always made me fail my quit attempts in the past, I was happy to vape instead of smoke.”
Kevin soon discovered that good things start to happen when you quit smoking: “Since quitting, I am the fittest I have ever been in my life. I am saving around £150 a week by not smoking and I give this money to my daughters.”
Kevin said his regular appointments with Alison really helped: “Alison is such a lovely person, very professional and encouraging. Because of this I felt loyalty towards her and did not want to let her down which kept me motivated. After 30 years of trying to quit, this time round it was easier than I ever thought it could be.”
Alison said: “Kev’s mindset from the start was of determination but with a huge amount of understanding of what barriers may arise but knowing that this is normal when making a change. Kev gave himself small milestones to achieve throughout his quit, which proved helpful as it managed his own expectations and meant he did not feel overwhelmed. I’m lucky to have been a part of Kev’s story and be able to support him in a way that worked for him. Well done!”
If you would like advice and support to quit smoking like Kevin you can contact the One You Plymouth team today and we can help you take the first steps to become smoke free. Call 01752 437177 or email [email protected].