OVERCOMING her addiction to tobacco has proved one of her proudest achievements.

And now Sandra Turley is urging others in Swindon to give up the habit this Stoptober.

The campaign, which runs throughout October, is asking smokers to sign up to quit for 28 days on October 1 and receive support direct to their inbox or mobile to help them succeed.

Like many Sandra, 68, took up the habit at as a teenager, and at just 14 was a full-blown smoker.

But seeing her friends and family suffer from smoking-related diseases gave her the motivation to quit for good a year ago, despite a first failed attempt.

“I was at a family funeral when I realised I didn’t want to die early,” she said. “I didn’t want to be one of those statistics.

“I went for a check at the Swindon Health Centre, in Carfax Street, and the chest x-ray revealed I had a small patch of COPD on my chest.

“I had friends on oxygen machines and I didn’t want that for me. So I asked to see a Stop Smoking adviser.”

Her decision made, she found help at the Swindon Stop Smoking Service, which is provided by SEQOL.

Sandra swiftly noticed the benefits of a smoke-free life – not only on her health but her bank account.

“I feel great,” she added. “I don’t need to take my COPD medicine as much.

“It’s good to be able to tell the doctor that I’m a non-smoker.

“I was spending a lot of money on my habit, £16 a day; I don’t know where I got the money from.

“I am celebrating my birthday – and a year of being smoke-free – in Lanzarote, with my savings.

“I wish my mum was still alive to see me smoke-free. My sons thought I could never do it and I have, my family are very proud of me and I am too. I don’t preach, but say to anyone thinking of quitting that I think they’d be better off, look at me I feel great. I’ll never go back to smoking.”

The 28-day target is based on research which showed that people able to stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stay quit.

Last year, 18,775 smokers in the South West signed up for Stoptober and nationally an impressive 2 out of 3 (65 per cent) of those who took park succeeded in staying quit for the 28 days.

Fiona Andrews, director of Smokefree South West, said: “We know that most smokers – two thirds – want to quit.

“There are now millions more ex-smokers in the UK than those still smoking, and we also know there are some practical tools that help turn that decision to go smokefree into real success.

“According to a recent survey, four in 10 smokers have taken steps to quit in the last year.

“Stoptober is a fantastic campaign because it draws in friends, family and work colleagues to get behind smokers, gives them a real focus, and crucially, the support they will need to quit for good.”

If you want to quit this Stoptober, search ‘Stoptober’ online and sign up to the challenge.

For advice and support contact the Swindon Stop Smoking service on 0800 3892229 or 01793 465513, text 07881 281797 or email besmokefree@seqol.org.