Ex-smoker Susan is now a happy camper
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.
UPWARDLY MOBILE: Susan Hall has reached the semi-final of the European Smokefree Quitter of the Year 2008
