Amy started smoking when she was 12 but quit after seeing her mum go through kidney and lung cancer caused by smoking. Shortly into her quit journey, she found out she was pregnant with her first child, which gave her the motivation she needed to stay smokefree.
Amy features in the ITV stop smoking advert alongside her mum Wendy Robinson, as part of the new regional ‘Turn The Corner’ campaign, which was filmed in Grimsby.
“Seeing my mum go through kidney and then lung cancer was horrible,” said Amy. “I thought if she can stop smoking after 34 years then I can quit too. And then finding out I was pregnant was a big motivator to keep going and stay quit.
“Almost a year on I’ve saved so much money. I’m not getting to the end of the month and having to say no to things.”
Amy, who works as an activities coordinator in an old people’s home, used a vape and nicotine patches to help her quit and manage cravings.
“The vape was really useful, especially as I associated smoking with socialising so instead of smoking I could just use the vape,” she said.
Amy also received vouchers as part of the national smoking in pregnancy incentive scheme which she has used to buy things she needs for the baby.
Her partner, Dec, has also quit smoking so their baby can be brought up in a smokefree home which Amy is really pleased about.
“I never thought Dec would quit too but the baby really gave him the push he needed. Smoking has had such an impact on my family’s life with my mum getting cancer from it that I don’t want my baby to be brought up around it. If my child was to start smoking at the age, I’d be horrified so I’m really glad they’ll never see it as the norm now we’ve both quit.”
Amy from Hull has the following advice for anyone still smoking: “Just give it a go, think of the money you’ll save and all the time you’ll get back when you’re not smoking. You never think that it’s going to damage your health, but I’ve seen the damage it can do firsthand so do it for your family.”
You’re three times more likely to quit for good with the support of North East Lincolnshire Council’s free stop smoking service.
What we offer…
- Face-to-face support and advice
- Phone calls/texts to check in with you
- Vape starter kit, with a 12-week supply of salts
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as nicotine patches and gum
- Varenicline – prescribed medication to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
You can use more than one of these paths.
- To find out more, discover a support venue near you or self-refer, visit: www.nelincs.gov.uk/stop-smoking
- Call: (01472) 325500, Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4pm, except bank holidays
- Email: [email protected]
If face-to-face isn’t for you, the council also offers free six-month premium access to the Smoke Free app to set goals, track progress and stay motivated, with expert advisors on hand 24/7.
Watch the ‘Turn The Corner’ ITV advert here: https://youtu.be/zqtdFishMEc
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