A secret no more – Emma’s story

Emma made the life-changing decision to quit smoking; driven by a desire to improve her health and leave behind a habit she had kept hidden from her family. After years of smoking in secret, she turned to Smoke Free Norfolk for support and accountability.

“I didn’t like being smelly, but the main reason was that I was a secret smoker and none of my family knew. I had quit before for eight years but started again after my father passed away. Smoking helped calm my nerves, but I knew I needed to stop.”

Smoke Free Norfolk provides flexible, personalised support tailored to each individual’s lifestyle and circumstances. Whether face-to-face, over the phone, or through one-to-one coaching, the service offers a non-judgemental space where people can access expert advice, build accountability, and choose the right stop smoking aids to suit them — helping to make quitting achievable and sustainable.

“I felt nervous but hopeful about contacting the service. I chose face-to-face one-to-one support, and seeing Spencer regularly really helped. Because I couldn’t tell anyone else I was quitting, he became my main support and kept me accountable.”

“There were some challenges along the way. It took six weeks to get Zyban, and fitting appointments around work wasn’t always easy. But I kept going by staying in touch with my GP surgery and with Spencer’s support.”

“I’ve now been smoke free for 11 weeks. I’ve saved around £800, which I’ve put towards a dream holiday — something I wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

“I absolutely plan to stay smoke free and I’m so thankful for the support I received — it really made the difference for me.”