Andy Beall from Basingstoke has been celebrating his seventh month without cigarettes after stopping smoking with the help of Southern Health’s Quit4Life Hampshire stop smoking service.
The 24 year old from Basingstoke works in IT in Eastleigh and had tried several times to give up smoking.
“It was getting to be an expensive addiction and I wanted to stop. I was worried about my health and wanted to get fit and understand that smoking would have hindered that.” Andy says.
With Quit4Life you’re FOUR times more likely to give up smoking. Advisers are able to offer a wide range of products for helping you beat the habit.
“I attended my Quit4Life session in Basingstoke once a week where they monitor your levels of carbon monoxide and you can speak to an adviser on a 1:1 basis. It’s good to see other people in the same position as you. When someone is unsuccessful it drives you to be successful as you don’t want to fail.
They can offer you all kinds of nicotine replacement therapy options such as inhalators, chewing gum and patches. I just stuck to the inhaler and the gum as I felt they worked best for me, but everyone is different. You think the inhalator is going to look stupid but you don’t feel it, pubs are dark and I still step outside for a cigarette and use my inhalator.”
With Quit4Life you can drop in to a local session to see an adviser and get support, or you can call 0845 602 4663 or text QUIT to 60123. There’s also the Quit4Life website if you’re thinking about trying to give up and want more information.
So what other benefits to giving up are there apart from your health? That’s easy says Andy. “I wonder how I ever afforded to smoke at £8 packet and when I ever had the time to smoke! This year I went on two holidays to Norway and Spain and I wouldn’t have been able to afford it if I was still smoking.”
January 26 2012
