A York grandfather who smoked for more than 40 years is encouraging others to quit this Stoptober after free support through York’s Health Trainers, who helped him stop smoking for good.
Kevin, 62, started smoking when he was 18 years old. What began as a habit shared with friends grew into a lifelong addiction. At one point, he was smoking up to 80 cigarettes a day.
But Kevin says it was thinking about his children, grandchildren and future health that finally gave him the push he needed to quit.
He said:
"Smoking didn't make me feel great. I woke up every day with a cough and struggled to walk up the stairs. I was gasping for breath and worried about my health.
"I really believe that if I hadn't quit, I wouldn't have lived for more than another five years."
Kevin decided it was time to stop smoking so he could enjoy more time with his family and make the most of life.
He said: "When I was smoking, I spent a lot of time outside. I missed time with my children and grandchildren. I couldn't run around with them or do things like play football in the park.
"I knew I had to quit for my health and for my family."
Kevin made quitting his New Year's resolution and smoked his last cigarette on 31 December 2025.
With support from the York Health Trainers Stop Smoking Service, he used nicotine patches and a vape to help him quit.
He said: "The support made a huge difference. Within two weeks I already felt much better. I could get up the stairs more easily and my cough had improved.
"I remember thinking, if I feel this much better after two weeks, imagine how I'll feel after two months. That really motivated me to keep going.
"As soon as you quit, you get a big part of your life back. I feel so much healthier now and I'm determined that this time I'll never smoke again."
Kevin is now backing Stoptober, the national quit-smoking campaign which encourages people to stop smoking for 28 days during October. Research shows that people who make it through the 28 days are five times more likely to quit for good.
People who stop smoking can quickly start to feel the benefits, including breathing more easily, having more energy and saving money that would otherwise be spent on cigarettes.
Councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said:
"Kevin's story shows that it's never too late to quit smoking and start seeing the benefits.
"Stoptober is a great opportunity to take that first step. Quitting smoking isn't always easy, but you don't have to do it alone.
"Our Health Trainers offer friendly, free and non-judgemental support to help people quit. We encourage anyone thinking about stopping smoking to get in touch and see what support is available."
Dr Emma Hardy, GP and Public Health Specialty Registrar in Yorkshire and Humber, said:
"I want people to know that they don't have to tackle quitting alone. There are different ways to get support and it's about finding what works for you.
"If you've tried before, you're not starting from scratch. Every attempt counts, and Stoptober is a chance to try again with support to make it easier."
York residents can get free one-to-one support from the York Health Trainers Stop Smoking Service. The service provides expert advice and can help people access stop smoking aids such as nicotine replacement products and vapes.
On top of free support from the Health Trainers services, you can also get six months’ free access to all the features on the Smoke Free app, which helps people control cravings, monitor health improvements and money saved, and even chat to a stop smoking expert 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This also includes free stop smoking aids (nicotine replacement therapy, medication, vapes) worth up to an overall total £300.
To download the Smoke Free app. People can also download the Smoke Free app for extra support alongside their quit journey.
To find out more or to book an appointment with a Health Trainer, or search York Health Trainers Stop Smoking Service.