Stories from our people

How Mace found the right combination of motivations to quit.

“I thought I’ve avoided death by losing weight so I should sort out my smoking.”

Talking to a fellow Coaster who understands what it was like to start smoking 30 years ago was hugely helpful to Mace.

Like many others, Mace started smoking cigarettes when he was 14, when many of his friends at the time were smoking marijuana. 

“Thirty years later I was still smoking ciggies but none of them are smoking weed any more.  In the end, I couldn’t justify spending more than $800 a month on this habit,” he says.

What’s worked this time is a combination of things – finding a Smoking Cessation advisor who he knew and clicked with, using patches, and “actually wanting to quit”.

“I’m sick of the cost, the smell, sacrificing things to go and stand outside and smoke.  I’m still vaping now and again, but I find I don’t have to rely on it as much.”

Four months into his quitting journey, Mace has come off the patches and is no longer craving a cigarette.

“The patches really helped to take out the craving for nicotine.  They gave me more control when it came to saying no, more of a clear head.  And if you can hold off, delay, and keep delaying for a day, you can reduce, then delay a few more and you’re off.” 

He’s recently put a concentrated effort into losing 50kg after doctors told him his weight was having a serious effect on his health. 

At the time, a nurse told him he’d reduced his risk of cardiovascular disease from 28% to 4%, and the final 4% was most likely to be the smoking.

“I thought I’ve avoided death by losing weight so I should sort out my smoking.”

Previous attempts to stop smoking hadn’t worked for various reasons.  He found he could really open up with (and have a laugh with) Smoking Cessation advisor Jackie.

“My generation might be some of the last to note really share too much.  It is a bit hard to talk about what most people see as a failing – being a smoker.  In the past I’d rather just suffer in silence than ask for help.  It’s taken a lot of years for me to learn it’s okay to talk about what’s behind the smoking and work out how to stop.  Having that person to talk to has been good, someone you can share a story with and have a laugh with.

“Look it’s hard.  You don’t like feeling sorry for yourself and thinking jeez what were you doing, all the money you’ve spent; being at a function and missed something because you were outside for half an hour having a cigarette.”

The money from stopping smoking is now going on monthly repayments on a brand new vehicle. 

“I’m not going to trade that in now for a 30 year suicide route.”

Are you a West Coaster
looking to quit smoking?

Make today the start of your
smokefree journey