Quitting smoking has given Northampton resident, Peter another chance at life

After smoking for over 35 years, Peter Law was able to quit for good thanks to in-person support, stop smoking aids and his own determination.

Peter, 79, from Weston Favell had previously tried to quit smoking 30 years ago with willpower alone and was unsuccessful but, with the extra support from the  West Northamptonshire Free Stop Smoking Service, he was able to finally quit.

While some people quit smoking successfully with willpower alone, only around 3 to 5 people in every one hundred manage to quit for good.

Peter signed up to the service and used nicotine replacement products to support his quit attempt. He accessed in-person support at one of the many Stop Smoking Hubs across the county, alongside fortnightly phone calls with his Stop Smoking Advisor. Evidence shows that this combination of support makes people three times more likely to quit successfully. Peter is proof of that, by celebrating one year smoke free earlier this year.

His dedicated advisor worked with him to understand his needs. He started with lozenges for the first few days of his quitting journey, followed by behavioural support which helped him identify smoking triggers and develop practical strategies to change habits associated with smoking.

“It's a partnership in a way, it's somebody that's there for you, for support but also someone I could brag to when I’d done well.”

“We started by going through my day and the places where I would smoke – on the patio with a cappuccino, at the pub, playing golf, up the allotment and all these different places I associated with cigarettes. And then we looked at how I could change those habits slightly to avoid smoking. I mean the first thing was not going outside with that cappuccino for instance.”

“Talking really helped but I was also offered patches, vapes, lozenges or a spray. I chose lozenges and I was shocked they were free and delivered straight to my door”.

A big motivator for Peter was his health. Following a persistence cough, his doctor investigated the possibility of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a long-term condition that makes it harder to breathe. 

Tobacco smoking remains one of the leading causes of COPD and is responsible for around nine in ten cases. The chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the lungs and airways, making breathing more difficult. Stopping smoking is the most effective way to prevent symptoms from worsening.  

“I’d been struggling with my breathing on and off for a while, but over Christmas it got really bad. I’d never had it like it in my life and it didn't go away, it just lingered. I went to the doctors, and they said I could have COPD and that it would only get worse if I carried on smoking.”

”They asked if I wanted help to quit. I said yes and I think I got a call from the service within a day or two.”

Since quitting, peter has noticed significant financial and health benefits. 

“I used to spend £20 a day on cigarettes. Now I save it, I call it my secret account, even though my wife knows about it. I’m doing the same things as before but enjoying them more. We’ve had holidays, I’ve bought clothes and treated myself.

“We went on holiday with the family and I was blowing balloons up for my grandson and letting them go so they’d whizz around the caravan. I couldn’t have done that 12 months ago. My grandson thought it was brilliant. He kept saying ‘Blow it up Grandad, blow it up’, and this time Grandad could blow it up. Amazing.”

Peter’s story shows that with the right support it’s never too late to quit smoking and start to experience the benefits of your health, wellbeing and finances. 

If you would like to stop smoking, please visit the stop smoking page, email [email protected], or call 030012657 (option 1).