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Real life story

Vikki, who works in a police station in Eastbourne, tells her story...

"I gave up smoking in July 2003, so I've been smoke free for over a year now. My father had died of lung cancer six years before. I was very upset for a long time and it took me a few attempts to give up after that. The final motivation came when I began a new relationship and decided I seriously wanted to give up. When I finally did give up, it wasn't that difficult. I knew what I wanted to do.

I planned the quit date - July 21st - the day after pay day! I used all my money to buy 10 weeks of nicotine replacement patches. So after that I didn't have the money to smoke as I was so skint! The cravings were bad at the beginning, but I knew what to expect from my previous attempts.

Rather than think of all the other times I'd tried to give up as failures, I learnt from those experiences. I'd had cravings before and knew what to do about them. I was positive about all those experiences and turned the failures into successes.

I’d been smoking for a long time - from fourteen to thirty. I’d tried to give up when I was 15 - at that age you think you’re in control and can give up whenever you like. Then for a long time I didn't try to give up at all. I was enjoying myself smoking socially, and I was in a place I wanted to be. After my father died I tried three or four times to give up before finally succeeding.

I gave up for me and my future rather than doing it as a joint thing with friends. For me, I thought that giving up with someone else would make it too easy to just give in. These days I try to offer help and support to friends who have decided to quit too. And if this story helps just one person to give up smoking that would be great!

I really do feel better. I’ve never been the sort of person to have a smoker's cough, but when I got a cold I used to really feel it on my chest. I haven't had a cold since giving up smoking! Its nice to wake up the morning after a big night and not have that tight feeling in your chest. And although I don't really do more exercise, walking up the two flights of stairs to my flat isn't a struggle any more!"