A woman from Leeds is supporting the first stop-smoking campaign to be developed and filmed across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Clair Smith, who smoked for almost 30 years, has urged others to quit after giving up following her father’s death from heart failure.
Her appeal comes as the ‘Turn the Corner’ campaign is being rolled out across TV, radio and social media. The initiative promotes support to help people stop smoking and warns that ‘Every cigarette takes around 20 minutes of your life’.
The advert can be watched above or directly on Yes to Quit’s YouTube channel.
Smith said she struggled to quit in the past despite multiple attempts.
‘I tried to quit several times and have tried everything from cold turkey to patches, to lozenges and a vape but nothing worked,’ she said. ‘I always ended up relapsing. Looking back, I realise i wasn’t ready to quit, I wasn’t in the right mindset and that’s key to quitting successfully.
‘My life was controlled by smoking in the past, and I wanted to stop. I knew I needed advice and support to do so. I couldn’t do it alone as last year was really tough. My dad died in February from heart failure after smoking all of his life and watching him suffer was heart breaking.
‘Losing him inspired me to try again, and I was determined to succeed this time.’
The campaign also features a mother and daughter, Wendy and Amy Robinson, who both quit smoking after losing a family member to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Victoria Eaton, director for public health at Leeds City Council, explained why this campaign is needed more than ever.
‘In Leeds, although the number of people smoking has fallen significantly over recent decades, more than 111,000 adults – around 15.6% of the city’s population – still smoke,’ Eaton said.
‘Evidence shows that specialist support greatly increases the chances of quitting smoking for good and Clair’s story is a great example of how, with that right support, you can turn that corner and quit.’
The latest GP figures show there are 4493 fewer smokers in Leeds between 2024 and now.
Rachel Spencer-Henshall, deputy chief executive for Kirklees Council, added: ‘Smoking still causes huge harm across Yorkshire and the Humber. Turn the Corner gives people the support and confidence to quit, and Wendy and Amy show just how powerful that first step can be.’
Image: Yes to Quit
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