A PLYMOUTH woman could win ?15,000 Euros-worth of holiday

vouchers for her effort in stopping smoking.

Not that Susan Hall, 43, needs help with her holidays –

since kicking the nicotine habit on her 41st birthday she has

saved enough money to buy a camper van – and lost five stone in

the process.

Susan, from Cattedown, said: "When I decided to stop smoking

it was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I had been

smoking 20-a-day for nearly 30 years. I was an overweight

smoke-smelling 40-year-old unable to change one or the

other.

"Stopping smoking has made me feel healthier, so I have been

able to exercise more and lose weight. I decided to have a

gastric bypass for my birthday this year, but I wouldn't have

been offered the surgery if I still smoked, as the risks are

too high."

Susan, a customer services assistant with Plymouth City

Council, has now made her way to the semi-final of the European

Smokefree Quitter of the Year 2008. Susan quit smoking in May

2006 after deciding she didn't want to be unfit anymore. She

realised stopping smoking had to be her first step.

The European Smokefree Quitter of the Year competition is

run by QUIT, the charity dedicated to helping people stop

smoking, and sponsored by Pfizer.

Susan said she would encourage other smokers to quit, and

described her own process.

Susan said: "My doctor prescribed me nicotine replacement

patches and gum and was really supportive. I carried a beaded

necklace around with me to keep my hands busy, as I missed

holding a cigarette.

"The money I would have used to buy cigarettes has bought us

a motor home which has enabled us to explore Europe. I am much

healthier now, and am able to do more walking and climb hills I

would never have managed before. We've even saved money on our

home and life insurance now I'm a non-smoker. This one decision

has allowed me to change my life."

If she reaches the finals of the competition, Susan will win

a two-night stay in Amsterdam in September, where one of 12

European finalists will be awarded the holiday vouchers.

Anyone inspired by Susan should ring Quitline 0800 00 22 00

for friendly help and advice on how to quit.