Thursday, 03 February 2022
Shaz was a 20 a day smoker over a number of years. He had experienced some personal issues while also holding down a high-powered job and had never quite made the commitment to quit. For the 43-year-old father of two, it was the realisation that he was harming his family, his health and his finances, that finally brought him to his senses.
Shaz was a secret smoker. He said: ‘It sounds silly but I never smoked in front of my kids. I kept a smoker’s jacket in my shed. My teenage son, would say, ‘You’re out in the garden a lot’. I’m a keen gardener and I’d put the jacket on whilst smoking, leave it in the shed, come back into the house, have some chewing gum, and wash my hands. Then I’m thinking, ‘what are you doing?’ If it was good to smoke, you’d openly do it. If you don’t want your son to do it, you’re a hypocrite’.
2020 saw the start of Shaz’s attempt to quit smoking but it was in August 2021 when he decided he needed some formal help - the 7th August 2021 is ingrained in his memory. ‘I had my coffee as normal and had my last cigarette’.
Despite being a heavy smoker, Shaz still felt he had one eye on his health. Before giving up, he had joined Lea Manor Recreation Centre gym. He laughs ruefully when recalling having a cigarette in the car park before going in and getting on the treadmill. It was at the gym, however, where he saw the ‘Stop Smoking’ information and decided enough was enough. Shaz phoned 0300 555 4152 and was assigned to Michelle from the Total Wellbeing Luton Stop Smoking Service. He said:
‘Michelle subtly guided me, asking how I was getting on. She talked about triggers from personal experience and had an in-depth knowledge about the nicotine replacement therapies available. I was empowered to decide - do I want the inhalator, the nicotine patches, the gum, the spray or do I want a combination?’
Discussing Shaz’s motivations to smoke, they decided an inhalator was a good starting point. Shaz felt it helped with ‘that habit of dragging something into my mouth and pulling on something.’ After a few weeks though he felt he needed something else. Gum was not for him so he tried a combination; patches and the inhalator. He finally settled for patches and a spray which worked well for his cravings.
At the time of speaking to Shaz, he was on day 158 since he last had a cigarette and had saved £1,185. He said:
‘I put £10 in a jar each day. So, from my wallet point of view, that money is still coming out but I’m doing something positive with it, like activities with my kids. I don’t have the financial pressure ‘cos I’m saving almost £100 weekly. I’m proud of myself. I knew if I could do it for 3 months, I could stick to it and it’s now almost 6 months.’
Michelle encouraged Shaz to download the NHS stop smoking app on his phone which tracks how many days smoke free you are, and calculates how much you are saving too. It has been a great tool in keeping Shaz motivated.
Shaz, had words of encouragement for anyone thinking about taking that first step. He said:
‘The health benefits are immense. I don’t feel fatigue but am more energetic. I feel more alert, my heart rate has normalised and my clothes don’t smell. We are kidding ourselves if we think, ‘Oh I’m stressed I need a cigarette,’ because tobacco is a stimulant. I was going through some difficult personal issues and when stressed, I’d light a cigarette. For the first ten minutes I’d think I was back in control, but then the withdrawal happened and I needed another one. I was using it as a coping mechanism and thought it was helping but it was the opposite.’
Shaz had a message to anyone hesitant about taking that first step.
‘A lot of people feel the counsellors aren’t approachable and they’ll judge me. Michelle was really great. She was completely non- judgemental. It was regular contact for the first few months; a five-minute conversation and we’d just pick up with how I was getting on. The product support is also really important. I have to pay for my prescriptions, so Michelle suggested the prepaid subscription which costs about £30 for 3 months. If I didn’t pay for that, the products I’m using would cost hundreds. She also contacted the pharmacy and they have a delivery service.’
Willpower played a key role in Shaz’s decision to stop smoking, and research suggests that you are three times more likely to succeed with expert help and advice.
Looking back on his journey so far he is still confident that he doesn’t want to smoke ever again and no longer feels the need to have a cigarette during stressful situations, however he feels that his family life has benefitted the most.
If you are ready to stop smoking, the Total Wellbeing Luton team can also help you. Just text QUIT2022 to 60066 to self-refer today.