Personal Stories

You are not alone! Every year many thousands of smokers decide to quit. And while every person's experience is unique, many of the physical and emotional challenges faced are exactly the same. Whether you're a five-a-day smoker giving up for the first time or a heavy smoker attempting to stop for the tenth time, you should find that the stories here inspire, encourage and help you stay on track at difficult times.


Parent Story
Hi. I'm Lorraine O'Mullane, I'm 35 and I work as a beauty therapist. I started smoking when I was 16, and I got through about 10 to 20 cigarettes a day. I really wanted to quit for my daughter, my husband and for my health, but I was worried that giving up cigarettes would make me put on weight.

I did try hypnotherapy once, but that didn't work, so I got myself a personal quit plan from Click2Quit and a course of NiQuitin CQ Lozenges, and then set a quit date. I got rid of all ashtrays, matches, lighters, and everything else that either reminded me of smoking or could tempt me to have another cigarette, and told all my friends that I was quitting.

The first day was OK, and on my second day I went out for dinner at night and didn't feel like smoking once - even though there were loads of smokers around me. I just popped a lozenge in my mouth and it took the edge off the cravings.

One of the toughest situations I found was being on the phone - I was just so used to having a cigarette whilst chatting away. It got to the point where I was almost beginning to dread people phoning me!!!

I really loved not having to disguise the smell of cigarettes anymore - I used to wear LOADS of perfume and eat mints all day, especially when I went to pick my daughter up from school. And in my second week I discovered an extra reason to keep me going - loads of my friends were placing bets on how long I was going to last!

I was starting to feel quietly confident, and was so happy that I wasn't reaching for a packet of biscuits every time I got a craving. It was also good to know that when I was stressed (particularly when arguing with my husband!), I had my NiQuitin Lozenges to help keep the cravings at bay.

Into week 3 and I was so pleased that I had managed not to smoke AND not put on any weight! I had my eyelashes done and I noticed that the girl who dyed them was a smoker - I could smell it on her breath. She had tried to disguise it with mints and loads of perfume, but I could still tell. It made me think about how I used to do exactly the same things, and I thought I'd hidden it really well but now I knew I didn't!

I went to the gym for the first time in 6 months and was amazed - couldn't believe how much I was able to do!!! Normally I'd walk on the treadmill and I'd be gasping for breath after about 10 minutes, but I did 15 minutes and I wasn't even out of breath.

My husband Fergal decided to quit as well, which really helped me. And after about 5 weeks since my last cig, we went on a family holiday to Ireland to visit my family. It was ages since we had had a proper holiday, and I was feeling quite healthy. I was walking everywhere; it was always a bit too difficult before, but now my lungs were clear and ready to go and I was walking the legs off myself!

My Dad was so thrilled that I had given up. He never understood why I spent so much money on cigarettes. Both my sister and my brother smoke, and my parents keep nagging them to 'follow my example' and try NiQuitin. Suddenly I was the golden child in the family!

It was so good to enjoy a holiday which wasn't being dictated by where I could smoke, when I could smoke and who I could smoke with.

I found it a lot easier in Ireland to go out for lunch and drinks, because no one else was smoking in bars or restaurants, after the smoking ban. Every other time that I've been on holiday I'd smoke way more than I usually would. The only thing that was missing was the sun!

I did have a couple of low points when catching up with friends - people I associated having a cigarette with - but I felt a lot fitter, more healthy and a whole lot richer than before, so was determined not to weaken!

Coming back to England was a bit of a shock. I went to the pub for a quick drink and the cravings came back again, but I had my lozenges close to hand. Also whenever I was tempted to smoke, I thought about my Gran, who smoked loads and had a cough that could shake a house! And even when she was quite ill and in hospital, they still couldn't stop her smoking! I promised myself that I'd never get to that state.

I never want to get complacent about not smoking - it's so hard to quit and so easy to start.

After 10 weeks without cigarettes, I feel like the habit of smoking is not there anymore. It's no longer part of me and my life, although I do still miss it a bit when I'm around other smokers. Hopefully one day I won't even miss it then!

So what next? Well I'm not very good at pushing myself to do exercise, but if I give myself a goal then I can stay focused and I feel so much better. So next summer, not far off a year from when I gave up cigarettes, I will be climbing Kilimanjaro! It'll be a real challenge and something I would never have even considered when I was smoking.

Good luck to everyone who is either giving up smoking now or is planning to. It's not easy, but I can honestly say that it's one of the best things I've ever done in my life. If I can do it, you can too.

Lorraine    X


Student Story
I have been smoking since the age of 12. I used to love smoking - up until the age of about 19 I would look forward to a smoke on my way to work and count the minutes until my first smoke break…

Then I met my fiancée, who not only doesn't smoke, but wouldn't let me near her smelling of it. So for 2 years I lived on mints and chewing gum to prevent being caught. I hated smoking shortly after I met her because I didn’t want to waste my life and money on something so pointless. So 47 days ago I bought NiQuitinCQ 4mg Gum from my chemist and stuck to it like a military regime. All it took was the need to quit, willpower (of which I didn't have much of) and helpful friends. NiQuitin really works - trust me!

Once you find something to live for, killing yourself seems pointless.

Paul Kielty


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