A HYDE man who smoked for around 25 years has successfully quit the habit with support from a local stop-smoking service.
Keith Pearce, 55, decided to give up after contacting Be Well Tameside, which offers free advice and support to people looking to stop smoking.
Keith had been smoking around 20 cigarettes a day for roughly a quarter of a century. Although he had already been thinking about quitting, he said he needed some extra motivation to take the first step.
He said: “I already had in mind to stop but I felt I needed some kind of kick start to make the leap. The support I had from Be Well was exactly what I needed. They took me through it step by step, starting from inhalators. At that point, using those, I thought well actually this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
Working with advisers from the service, Keith was offered a range of nicotine replacement options. Although he was initially given nicotine patches, he found an inhalator more helpful as it mimicked the hand-to-mouth action of smoking.
An inhalator is a small plastic tube containing a nicotine cartridge that users can puff on to help manage cravings while they stop smoking.
Later, Keith was introduced to regulated vaping as part of his plan to gradually reduce his nicotine intake.
He explained: “The vape changed everything. I felt like I was fully in control of my intake. Although at first giving up does give you a cough, you have the real understanding that your chest is clearing out all the toxins.”
Keith said he also quickly noticed the financial benefits of quitting after years of buying cigarettes.
He added: “I didn’t realise how big the savings are. It was around 108.50 per week. So I can treat myself to something or pay a bill instead of killing myself with nicotine.”
Three months after quitting, he says he now feels far more confident around other smokers and no longer feels the same urge to light up.
“I’ve now got to the stage where I can cope with other smokers without having the craving to have one. I am just happy with my vape,” he said.
Tameside Council supports the Be Well service, which provides free and confidential help for residents who want to stop smoking through personalised plans and ongoing guidance.
Support is available for anyone in the borough who is considering quitting smoking or improving their health. Residents can find more information online or contact the service directly for advice by calling 0161 342 5050.