Third time lucky- Samantha's story

Before joining SmokeFree Norfolk, Samantha had made previous attempts to quit smoking, including one successful period where she remained smoke free for ten years. However, relationship difficulties, life stresses and being around other smokers eventually led her back to smoking. Wanting to improve both her health and finances, Samantha decided she was ready to quit again and sought support from SmokeFree Norfolk.

"My motivation for quitting smoking was mainly my health and finances. I'd tried to quit before and had managed to stay smoke free for 10 years, but relationship and life stresses led me back to smoking. Being around other smokers and the temptation made it difficult to stay quit."

SmokeFree Norfolk provides free, personalised support to help people stop smoking and stay smoke free. Through one-to-one coaching, behavioural support and access to stop smoking medications, the service helps people overcome cravings, build confidence and develop strategies to manage triggers. The service offers a supportive, non-judgemental environment where people can access encouragement throughout their quit journey.

"I never actually enjoyed smoking. It always felt awful, and for me it was more of a social habit or a coping mechanism than something I wanted to do. This time around, I felt mentally ready to quit and much more prepared than I had been during previous attempts."

"One of the things that really helped was the support I received from the service. There was never any judgement from my Health Coach. Everyone has always been lovely, supportive and encouraging. That made a huge difference because it gave me the confidence to come back when I needed support. This was my third attempt with the service, and it's definitely been third time lucky for me."

"There were some difficult challenges along the way. My mother-in-law has been unwell, which has caused a lot of stress, and supporting my husband through the emotional impact has been tough. However, I was determined to stay smoke free. Being in the right head space allowed me to think about things rationally and remind myself that smoking wouldn't actually help the situation."

"The biggest plus about the service is that nobody is judgemental. I always felt supported and encouraged, which made it easier to keep going even during difficult times."

"I've now been smoke free for five weeks and I'm so very proud of myself. I've saved more than £350 already, and that money will go towards my children and grandchildren instead. It's much easier knowing I'm no longer spending that money on cigarettes and seeing those savings grow gives me even more motivation to stay smoke free."

"If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that having the right support makes all the difference. Everyone has been brilliant, and the encouragement I've received has helped me achieve something I'm incredibly proud of. I feel healthier, more positive about the future and confident that I can remain smoke free."