Shannon, now 29, started smoking when she was 11 years old. Before she became smoke free, she would smoke around 15 cigarettes a day, and was now really ready to quit.
Being pregnant, Shannon wanted to quit smoking, but the catalyst that led her to taking immediate action was triggered by her eldest son. Shannon said: “My eldest son asked me if he could smoke when he is older and that is the last thing I want! I really don’t want any of my children smoking.”
Subsequently Shannon got in touch with our friendly wellbeing team who put her into contact with Lisa, one of our expert health improvement practitioners.
Lisa provided Shannon with specialised, one-to-one ongoing support, offering encouragement and understanding of the nicotine addiction process. Together they developed a personalised quit plan that included a quit date, strategies to cope with cravings, withdrawal symptoms, how to manage triggers, and more.
To further assist Shannon with her quit attempt, Lisa talked through all the nicotine replacement products available. Of all the options she decided to quit smoking by switching to vaping. To get her started, Lisa sent Shannon a free vaping kit and a supply of vaping fluid.
Although for the first two weeks she felt like she was vaping more than she used to smoke tobacco, this maintained the nicotine level in her system that effectively took away the cravings she had for cigarettes. She has now reduced the number of times she uses her vape and doesn’t crave cigarettes at all.
Shannon admitted that she did have a small relapse, but Lisa reminded her that relapses can happen and it’s important not to feel too down or give up on quitting. Shannon said: “This reassurance made all the difference; I’m so pleased I didn’t give up on quitting as I really don’t want my children smoking.”
In a final statement Shannon expressed how much she valued Lisa’s guidance and encouragement, saying: “Lisa was such a great help. If it wasn’t for her, and her confidence in me, I don’t think I would have stopped smoking. Even though it’s been a stressful pregnancy, and I’ve had a few cigarettes, she reassured me that it was okay and encouraged me to just get straight back to quitting. The support I got didn’t feel clinical or like having an ‘appointment’. Nothing about it was overwhelming or patronising. Her support felt like having a conversation with a friend … a friend who encouraged and supported me and who truly understood what I was going through.”