Richard Sorrenson’s quit story

Richard Sorensen, 50, who smoked for four decades, says he failed in repeated attempts to stop – but was finally able to quit for good thanks to weekly phone calls from a specialist free support service.

Richard, who lives in Swallownest, admits he felt he’d never be able to quit because he didn’t believe he had the willpower, and ‘needed nicotine’ from the moment he woke in the morning.

However, as a dad to Walter, six, and Amelia, five, he says seeking specialist help was one of the best decisions he made, making a change he hopes will ensure he is in his children’s lives for as long as possible.

“I’m an older dad and not getting any younger, so quitting smoking was something I knew I needed to do, I just never managed to do it on my own.”

“I was one of those people who announced I was quitting and that I’d had my last cigarette at every life milestone. I remember doing it on my 30th birthday, then again on my 40th birthday, then when the kids were born. I’d say I was quitting, stop for a few days and then just relapse.”

This time, Richard has ‘stopped for good’.

“I’ll never go back now. I want to be around for my children as long as possible, and also be fit and healthy too to make the most of my time with them, so they 100% have been a big motivation,” he said.

“My wife Denise quit many years ago, and she didn’t like the smell of cigarettes on my clothes and my breath, so she has been pleased to see me stop too. You realise when you have stopped that it wasn’t just about you; it impacts on others around you too.

“It was a bit of a coincidence in how it came about, really, as I was in hospital as I needed to have my appendix removed. Whilst I was there, I was offered a number of support services, including mental health and stopping smoking,” Richard explained.

“Being in hospital made me think about my health, and my children, and it was that which made me decide to contact Smokefree Starts.”

Smokefree Starts connects people to their local stop smoking support services across South Yorkshire, which offer tailored support to ensure people feel at ease and meet their individual needs, whether it be via one-to-one or group sessions, support conducted face to face, over the telephone or even online.

Rather than attending face-to-face sessions, Richard, who works as a copywriter, opted for a weekly phone call with a stop smoking advisor – calls he says he came to look forward to every Friday.

“I was worried that it would be a lot of hassle and that it would be a lot of lecturing about the damage it does to your health, and a bit judgemental, but there has been none at that, it was all been focussed on providing the best plan to help me quit for good, and on making it as easy for me as possible,” he said.

“Phone calls were the most convenient for me, and I had a really good rapport with my advisor. She really cared, and I looked forward to the calls as they were fun.”

“I was a bit sceptical as to whether it would work, as I’ve tried before many times 

“It’s been so easy though. I’ve not had to lift a finger, and I’ve managed to quit; it’s amazing. The phone calls became something I looked forward to; they were fun, and I always felt like my advisor genuinely cared about helping me to quit. 

“She always reminded me of why I was doing it and the positive changes on my life. The fact my clothes no longer smell of smoke, how I was doing it to be around longer for the kids longer, how much better I felt when waking up, and of course the money I was saving.”

“It’s amazing really, I was helped to quit by someone I’ve never met face to face. I’d love to meet her and thank her now.”

Richard chose a stop smoking plan which saw him use vapes to replace cigarettes when he has the nicotine urge. 

“The vapes are brilliant and have been a great replacement,” he said.

“I’ve seen a big improvement in how I feel health-wise. I don’t cough and wheeze anymore, I can run up and down the stairs without being out of breath, and I’ve got more energy for the kids.

“I’ve also come to realise how anti-social smoking was, and how much smoking dictated my life. When I woke up in the morning, having a cigarette would be the first thing that I’d do. I’d go outside in all weathers. It’s no way to live.”

Stop smoking services are three times more effective than trying alone.

Richard is sharing his story as part of South Yorkshire Tobacco Alliance’s “It worked for me, it could work for you” campaign, urging smokers to turn to ‘Smokefree Starts’ – free local stop smoking support services across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Smoking rates in South Yorkshire remain above the national average as 12.6% of adults smoke compared to 10.9% in England, totalling around 141,000 people.

Specialist stop smoking services are the most effective approach to quitting, as they are three times as effective as when people try to quit on their own, but they are used by only around 5% of smokers.

South Yorkshire Tobacco Alliance aims to make smoking obsolete in South Yorkshire by 2030.