Jayde’s quit story

“People think they need to smoke. But they don’t need to, they want to. Talk about why you want to smoke so you can make a plan to stop. It’s very important to talk about it – there are better options than smoking.”

Jayde started smoking when she was 18 years old. On a Friday night she would meet up with friends and what started as one or two on became ten throughout the week as the cravings increased. Because everybody around Jayde was smoking, it was normalised and she just continued to join in. She felt like she was immediately stuck and smoking was a burden in her life.

Eventually she decided to stop smoking as a family member had some health issues. She decided to stop with her partner so they could live in a smoke free household.

‘I stopped through the stop smoking service and a kind lady called Jane used to ring me once a week to see how I was getting on. She would regularly check in with me and that really helped me stay on track. I don’t think I could have done it on my own.’

Jayde realised that smoking wasn’t helping her and since she stopped smoking she feels much better, more positive and healthier. She has also been able to save money by stopping smoking, finding more interesting things to do with the people in her life, including the wider community.

Jayde is glad she has stopped smoking. She can enjoy herself more, and go for walks without getting out of breath. She gets up everyday feeling fresh and her outlook on life is much better.

“Never give up trying. You’re not on your own and there’s people out there that can help.”