Quit cigarettes with help from the Whittington on No Smoking Day

Rory Brigstock-Barron

Published: 10:00 AM March 8, 2015 Updated: 8:01 PM October 15, 2020

Former smoker Iain Wraith who gave up with help from staff at the Whittington - Credit: Archant

The Whittington Hospital is urging smokers to take the first step towards quitting by visiting its specialist team on No Smoking Day.

The team will be on the first floor of the hospital on Wednesday from 9am to 5pm, providing a drop in service for any of the estimated 43,732 smokers in the borough who want to lead healthier lives.

Iain, 63, stopped smoking with the support of the Islington Stop Smoking service after 45 years of smoking. He says: “The thought of not living to see my grandchildren was the incentive I needed.”.

Iain Wraith was diagnosed with COPD nine years ago which meant he was often very short of breath. On No Smoking Day he will have been smoke free for exactly four months.

Mr Wraith said: “I did try to quit many times. I would be asked by the stop smoking advisor to give a finish (quit) date, but in the end I couldn’t do it.

You may also want to watch:

“Four months ago I made my mind up that I had to do it. I have three children who don’t smoke and my daughter told me that I was going to be a granddad again.

“It was that moment that it really hit me: I want to be alive for that. Now I’ve quit I get encouragement from my children who text me to ask ‘are you still off the fags dad?’”