Pete, from Sheffield, never originally planned to stop smoking. However, when his wife was diagnosed with Emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, he decided he wanted to quit in order to support her.
Although Pete had tried to stop smoking many times before, he always ended up starting again. Because of this, he admitted that before his first appointment with Smokefree Sheffield, he did not believe he would be successful this time either. Looking back now, he says he is very surprised at how well he has done.
To help him quit, Pete used a vape provided through the service. He found it extremely helpful during the early stages of his quit journey and says he hardly uses it at all these days.
One of the biggest changes Pete has noticed since quitting is how much fresher everything smells. Even though he never smoked inside the house, he realised the smell of smoke still clung to his clothes and belongings. Now, he enjoys not having that smell around him anymore.
When asked what he likes most about being smokefree, Pete gave a powerful description of how quitting has changed his life:
“I feel like the padlock and chain of smoking has been removed.”
Although Pete says he has not noticed major health improvements yet due to his irregular heartbeat, he is proud of what he has achieved and pleased to have broken free from smoking.
Pete also credits the support he received from the Smokefree Sheffield service as a huge part of his success. In particular, he says he would not have been able to quit without the help of his advisor, Sharon, telling us:
“I wouldn’t have stopped without Sharon’s help. She has been lovely and friendly.”
Huge congratulations on your quit Pete. Sharon and the Sheffield team are incredibly proud of you.
