He said: “I started smoking when I was 16 due to peer pressure, and I managed to hide it from my parents for quite a while as no-one in my family smoked. When they found out, they weren’t very happy and tried to encourage me to stop as they didn’t want me to die young.

“However, it wasn’t easy to stop, and I continued smoking throughout university and after I graduated. By the time I started working I was smoking about 80 cigarettes a week and spending about £40 a week.

“I tried to quit in 2019 and used a vape and the Smoke Free app, but unfortunately I relapsed after a few months as I was going through a bit of tough patch. Then the pandemic hit, and we went into lockdown, and I found myself smoking more due to boredom.

“As time went on, I knew I needed to quit. In my role as a paramedic, I often saw the health risks from smoking so I decided it was time for me to quit for good. As I was spending a lot of money on cigarettes, I wanted to save to be able to go on a nice holiday.

“I knew I couldn’t quit by myself, so I contacted my local stop smoking service in Salford for support. They were really helpful and in my first coaching session, Renee, my stop smoking advisor discussed my reasons for quitting and then we talked about my daily routine and the importance of recognising patterns, so I knew when I tended to smoke more. We then discussed nicotine replacement therapy, and I decided to try the double product attempt since NRT hadn’t been successful in the past.

“Initially, I tried patches and a vape, but the patches didn’t work for me, so I tried the chewing gum which I didn’t like, so I eventually settled on using a vape and mouth spray which really worked. I think it’s about finding the right combination for you. By the end of the 12-week programme with the Stop Smoking Service I stopped using NRT, but I’ve continued to vape until I feel ready to stop, as it’s a much safer option than smoking and keeping off cigarettes is the most important thing.”

James has now been smoke-free for over 12 months and has noticed both financial and health benefits, which have kept him motivated throughout this quitting journey.

“I’m really proud of myself for quitting as it wasn’t easy. The biggest benefit I’ve noticed is how much money I have saved over the past year. I worked out I was spending about £200 a month on cigarettes, so when I got paid I immediately transferred that money into a savings account and I’ve now saved £3,000. The plan was to treat myself to a really nice holiday, but we’ve had to cancel twice due to the pandemic – although it’s good to have that to look forward to when the time is right.

“I’ve also noticed a few health benefits – I have more energy and I no longer get heart palpitations, which I used to get on a daily basis. My taste and smell have also improved, and I feel much better in myself.

“My advice to anyone who is thinking of quitting smoking is get support, whether that is from your local stop smoking service, friends, family or colleagues and tell people you are quitting. They can keep an eye on you and if they see you’re tempted to have a cigarette they can persuade you not to. I don’t think I could’ve done it if I hadn’t had the support from Renee at Salford Stop Smoking Service.

“Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is different so find a quitting method that works for you. If you don’t succeed at first, try again and don’t beat yourself up. Keep going and try different things such as NRT or the Smoke Free app. Also, set up a savings account and save the money you were spending on cigarettes as having something to show for quitting was the biggest incentive for me.”

(*Not James’ real photo)