Hyde resident celebrates quitting smoking with help from Be Well Tameside

A Hyde resident is celebrating a major personal milestone after successfully quitting smoking with support from Be Well Tameside.

Marking No Smoking Day on Wednesday 11 March, Keith Pearce, 55, hopes sharing his experience will encourage others across the borough who are thinking about giving up cigarettes.

Keith had smoked around 20 cigarettes a day for roughly 25 years. Although the idea of quitting had been on his mind for some time, he felt he needed extra motivation to make the first move. After hearing about the support available through Be Well Tameside, he decided to get in touch and begin his journey to stop smoking.

He said: “I already had in mind to stop but I felt I needed some kind of kick start to make the leap. The support I had from Be Well was exactly what I needed. They took me through it step by step, starting from inhalators. At that point, using those, I thought well actually this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

The team at Be Well Tameside worked closely with Keith to find the nicotine replacement options that suited him best. Although he was given nicotine patches, he initially preferred using an inhalator because it replicated the familiar hand-to-mouth action of smoking.

An inhalator is a small plastic tube containing a nicotine cartridge that can be puffed on to mimic smoking, helping to ease cravings while someone adjusts to life without cigarettes.

After a period of using the inhalator, Keith was given a vape as part of his personalised quit plan and has gradually been reducing his use of it. Regulated vaping is widely recognised as a much safer alternative to smoking, and when combined with behavioural support it has been shown to significantly increase a person’s chances of successfully quitting.

For Keith, the change made a huge difference.

“The vape changed everything,” he explained. “I felt like I was fully in control of my intake. Although at first giving up does give you a cough, you have the real understanding that your chest is clearing out all the toxins.”

Another benefit Keith quickly noticed was the financial saving. Having smoked for many years, he was surprised by just how much the habit had been costing him.

“I didn’t realise how big the savings are. It was around £108.50 per week. So I can treat myself to something or pay a bill instead of killing myself with nicotine,” he said.

Three months after quitting cigarettes, Keith says he now feels more in control and can even be around other smokers without feeling tempted.

“I’ve now got to the stage where I can cope with other smokers without having the craving to have one. I am just happy with my vape,” he added.

Be Well Tameside offers free and confidential advice for residents who want to stop smoking, including personalised quit plans, ongoing behavioural support and access to nicotine replacement options.

The service can also help people gradually reduce their nicotine intake and quit vaping entirely once they are ready to become nicotine-free.

Anyone who is planning to stop smoking or wants to improve their health can access support.

For free and confidential help, contact Be Well Tameside at www.tameside.gov.uk/bewelltameside or call 0161 342 5050.