Father of two urges smokers to quit for the sake of their family

A Wiltshire father of two is urging people to quit smoking for their family.

George Novell, 41, is a landscape gardener who had smoked for 25 years before quitting in time for the birth of his second child. Now five months smokefree, he’s urging others to use Wiltshire Council’s stop smoking service to help them quit.

George said: “I’d wanted to quit for a long time and had tried a few times, but with a baby on the way and a young child I knew it was time to stop. I was worried about the effect of second-hand smoke on my family, and I couldn’t keep on spending £100 a month on something that wasn’t doing me or my family any good.”

George had tried to quit in the past, but when life got stressful, he’d relapse. This was the first time he got professional support and found it made a big difference. He used a combination of patches, an inhalator and a vape to quit and was supported by Wiltshire Council Health Coaches.

He said: “I found quitting really tough and after a week I was really struggling. I think my health coach realised that I really needed some help and was great at geeing me up.

“Having that personal support from a stop smoking advisor was a big factor in helping me quit - it gives you that motivation, and it’s great to have someone congratulate you on the milestones.”

As well as saving money, George has noticed that quitting smoking has helped him at work.

He said: “Since quitting, I’ve noticed I can stay on physical tasks like digging for longer without getting out of breath. It was always a bit awkward going round to a customer's house and taking regular cigarette breaks as I know some people don’t like it. I now spend my breaks making sure I'm hydrated and eating a good lunch.”

George is supporting Wiltshire Council’s ‘Take a Break for your Lungs’ campaign this September and is urging others to take advantage of the free support on offer to quit smoking.

The campaign encourages anyone who smokes, during work breaks or at other times, to take a break from smoking. Throughout September, information, advice and support will be shared with businesses across Wiltshire to help employees who want to quit and improve their health.

George said: “I always thought I’d quit smoking for my 40th birthday. I thought long and hard about giving up, but it just didn’t happen. Once that milestone passes, you find yourself into another year, and before you know it, time has got in the way. You have to set yourself proper milestones; otherwise, it’ll always be next year, or the year after.

“I still sometimes feel like I wouldn’t mind having a cigarette, but you’ve got to stay strong and remind yourself of your motivations. It’s not fair to bring that home to your family. You have to think about the long-term impact smoking can have on your health and your family, and how that could play out if you’re not around in the future.”

Cllr Clare Cape, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: It’s great to see how quitting smoking improves people’s lives. Our ‘Take a Break for your Lungs Campaign’ highlights the free support that is on offer to Wiltshire residents to help them quit smoking, as well as the support on offer to businesses to help their employees quit.”

Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health at Wiltshire Council said: “Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and your family, protecting them from second-hand smoke and giving you more money to spend.

“Research shows that you’re three times more likely to quit with expert support, so make sure you take advantage of the free support on offer from our Health Coaches and the Smoke Free app.”

Anyone who lives or works in Wiltshire can get a free 12-week programme of stop smoking support, with friendly and specialist Health Coaches and access to free stop smoking aids. 

Residents can also get six months’ free access to the Smoke Free app, which offers 24/7 stop-smoking support to fit around their lives.

For links to download the Smoke Free app or to contact Wiltshire Council’s stop smoking service, visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/smokefree.