Finding the right support- Jennifer’s story

Jennifer decided to quit smoking for health reasons after previous attempts had been disrupted by stress. Although she had managed to stop for short periods in the past, she knew this time she needed the right support to succeed and self-referred to Quit Smoking Stoke-on-Trent.

“I felt like I was finally ready to quit smoking — I just needed some support to help me stick with it. I’d tried to quit before and managed around eight weeks, but stress always seemed to pull me back into smoking. This time, my goal was simple: to quit and do well, and I knew I couldn’t do it completely on my own.”

We offer six sessions of up to 30 minutes and an initial consultation with a Heath Coach delivered over a maximum of 12 weeks to provide support at every step of your quit attempt. Your Health Coach will work with you to create your personalised quit plan involving the latest evidenced-based behavioural change approaches. They will also help you to make informed choices about using nicotine replacement products or vapes to help you stop smoking and improve your health.

“I chose to use a vape to help me quit, and having regular contact really helped to keep me going. Knowing someone was checking in and encouraging me made a big difference, especially on days when my motivation dipped. The service was good and really encouraging throughout my quit journey.

“One of the main challenges I had was finding the right vape flavour. I ended up choosing menthol — not because it was my favourite, but because I knew if I really liked the flavour, I might end up vaping far more than I needed to. Making that decision helped me stay in control and focus on quitting smoking rather than replacing one habit with another.”

“I’ve now been smokefree for around three to four months, which I’m really proud of. I’ve even rewarded myself with the money I’ve saved by going out for a meal, which felt like a proper celebration of how far I’ve come.

“My next step is simple — I plan to stay smokefree. Having the right support at the right time has helped me get here, and I feel confident about continuing my smokefree life.”