Lisa Maxwell is reaching out to help other people
Loose Women presenter and TV personality Lisa Maxwell is encouraging smokers who are motivated to stop to seek professional help for their quit attempts, after she successfully quitting following a 12 year battle with cigarettes.
Admitting to smoking 30 cigarettes per day at the height of her addiction and unsuccessfully trying to quit more than 30 times, Lisa feels quitting was one of the hardest challenges she has ever faced. That is why she is supporting a nationwide smoking cessation campaign called ‘Don’t Go Cold Turkey’ by Pfizer Limited.
Lisa Maxwell says: “My smoking addiction caused me to frequently lie to my family. My daughter once caught me smoking with a friend in the garden, despite me having told her I had quit. This really hit home and made me realise more than ever before how important it was for me to quit.”
“I tried all manner of things, ranging from relying on willpower alone to trying hypnotherapy, but none of them worked. In the end I sought help and advice from a healthcare professional as part of the quitting process and fully recommend this as the most successful route for quitting. To know that you needn’t be alone when quitting is of immense re-assurance to smokers, especially as a healthcare professional can support you every step of the way. I would definitely recommend anyone who is thinking about quitting to approach their healthcare professional or local stop smoking service for advice and to learn more about their options.”
The most popular method to quit smoking is going ‘cold turkey’ - trying to give up immediately using willpower alone (45 per cent) - according to a survey commissioned by Pfizer Limited among 6,300 current or former smokers commissioned to launch the Don’t Go Cold Turkey campaign. However, research suggests this is the least effective method with only three per cent remaining smoke-free after one year.
Two thirds of UK smokers, the equivalent of six million people, will try and quit in January but half will have failed within just one week. In addition, one in ten quit attempts will last less than 24 hours. Although nearly half believe quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you can ever do, just one in five have sought advice from a healthcare professional or the NHS stop smoking service, despite research showing this can increase the chances of success by up to four times compared to going it alone.
The Don’t Go Cold Turkey campaign aims to ensure that smokers who want to quit are aware of the options available to them and understand how taking the right approach can significantly increase the chances of successfully breaking the cycle of nicotine dependence. Visit www.quitwithhelp.co.uk for more information and advice on quitting smoking.