Former smoker from East Riding voices their support for regional quit smoking campaign

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East Riding resident Gillian Cunningham is lending her support to Yorkshire and Humber’s first quit smoking campaign developed and filmed in the region.

Gillian from Pocklington smoked for over two decades before quitting after seeing the harm caused by smoking on loved ones and being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She is urging an estimated 30,000 smokers in East Riding (around 10.3 percent of adult residents) to quit as part of the ‘Turn the Corner’ campaign. [1]

Gillian first started smoking around the age of 11 and ended up smoking about 40 cigarettes a day. At just 38 she was diagnosed with COPD and was told she had the lungs of a 96-year-old. 

Gillian said: “I started smoking when I was really young, as was the norm back then. Everyone smoked, so I was surrounded by cigarettes every day as my mum, dad and my siblings smoked.

“I didn’t really think about the impact of smoking until it started to affect my family. My dad had a heart attack at 59 and never smoked again. My auntie died of throat cancer and my brother had a collapsed lung twice. Thankfully, he has managed to stop smoking too. But the worst thing I had to deal with was losing my mum. Sadly, the month before I was getting married, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and bone cancer, and she died five months after. It was awful watching her suffer. I stayed with her at the hospice, until she died.

“Quitting smoking was life-changing for me. I feel so much better and I have been able to spend quality time with my family. I honestly think if I hadn’t quit nearly ten years ago, I would have died and after losing my mum to a smoking related disease there was no way I was going to put my children through the same situation.

“No one I’ve ever met regrets stopping smoking, but every single person regrets starting. So, my advice to anyone thinking of quitting smoking is keep trying, because one day the penny will drop. It is extremely hard to stop, so take each day as it comes and find the right stop smoking aid for you.”

Her plea coincides with the launch of a regional ‘Turn the Corner’ campaign which features mother and daughter, Wendy and Amy Robinson from Yorkshire and Humber who have both successfully quit smoking after Wendy lost her mum to COPD.

Turn the Corner is a collaborative campaign being coordinated by the Centre for Excellence in conjunction with all 15 local authorities across Yorkshire and Humber and Yorkshire Cancer Research, who are committed to reducing smoking and protecting local communities from the harms of tobacco.

The campaign, which launches this week and was filmed in the region and will run across TV, radio and social media, shares a powerful message that every cigarette takes 20 minutes off your life [2].

Councillor Jonathan Owen, cabinet member for adults, health and care for East Riding of Yorkshire Council and chair of the East Riding Health and Wellbeing Board, said:

“We know that smoking kills around 64,000 people in England each year. Whilst smoking rates have seen a decline over the past decade, both in the East Riding and nationally, work still needs to be done to ensure our communities are free from the harms of smoking.

“Through regional campaigns such as ‘Turn the Corner’, we aim to raise awareness of the cost of smoking to our health and on society, and support residents who want to make the decision to quit for good.

“Our free Quit Smoking programme in partnership with Xyla, Healthier Futures, provides a helping hand to enable people to form healthy and lasting habits to stop smoking with one-to-one tailored support, as well as a choice of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) throughout the 12-week programme.

“We know quitting can be tough and might take a number of attempts, but it is never too late to quit – together we can make East Riding smokefree.”

Scott Crosby, associate director of Centre for Excellence, said: “Everyone knows someone who has been affected by tobacco harm. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death and ill-health in Yorkshire and Humber. It’s a leading cause of health inequalities in the region and has a huge impact on people’s lives.

“Every cigarette steals on average 20 minutes of life – that’s why campaigns like ‘Turn the Corner’ are so important to raise awareness of the harm caused by tobacco. Wendy and Amy know first-hand the devastation that smoking has on your health and are a perfect example of how quitting can help you turn a corner.”

Tony Graham, director of retail, services and operations at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “It’s well known that smoking is strongly linked to lung cancer, but it is also a cause of at least 15 other types of cancer. As well as kidney cancer, smoking can lead to cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, bowel, ovary, cervix, breast and, in some cases, even leukaemia.

“It remains the biggest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, and its impact can often span generations when children grow up seeing smoking as part of everyday life. Wendy and Amy’s experiences show both the profound harm caused by tobacco and the powerful difference that quitting can make, not only for an individual’s health, but for the health and future of their family.

“Even after a cancer diagnosis, stopping smoking can significantly improve how well treatments work, support better recovery, increase the likelihood of survival and reduce the risk of cancer coming back. By standing alongside our partners in this campaign, we hope more people across Yorkshire and Humber will feel supported and encouraged to take a step towards a longer, healthier life.”

If you live in Yorkshire and Humber, you can get six months access to all features on the Smoke Free app for free, including nicotine replacement medication as part of the campaign, worth up to £300. Find out more on the Yes To Quit website.

To find free, personalised support to stop smoking in Yorkshire and Humber, visit: yestoquit.co.uk

Find out more about the East Riding Quit Smoking programme with Xyla on the Healthier Futures website: www.healthier-futures.co.uk or call the team on 0330 236 9102.

Hear from East Riding residents who have quit smoking with Xyla

Craig from Driffield smoked for 45 years:

“I made the decision to quit after being diagnosed with emphysema (lung disease). I used to smoke around 35 cigarettes a day.

“Since quitting my breathing and general health has got so much better – I have more energy, can do more exercise, and my taste buds have really improved.”

Lisa from Woodmansey smoked for almost 43 years:

“I regret starting at 16, I now know that smoking doesn’t make things better in my life – since quitting I feel calmer and more relaxed, I don’t need a cigarette to feel like that.

“The hardest part is taking back control of your mind – now I feel in control of my body and I’m proud of what I have achieved.”