My name is Richard. I have been attending clinic appointments at Agbrigg Community Centre with the support of my wife Katrina since March. My reason for wanting to quit was mainly because I have severe COPD and emphysema, both of which cause severe breathlessness. In 2014, I developed pneumonia, and I don’t think my lungs were the same after that. I was also diagnosed with prostate cancer on 15 December 2022, which was a great shock to me.
I stopped smoking cigarettes about 20 years ago and started smoking cigars, thinking they were better for me, but this was not the case, as I learned when I saw Julia at the Stop Smoking Clinic. I had been smoking 10 cigars daily... a standard cigar is the equivalent of 8-10 cigarettes!
My GP told me I had to stop smoking; otherwise, it would kill me, which really hit home for me and my wife. Katrina had been telling me for many years that I should quit smoking, but she knew it wasn’t easy for me, and she had never smoked herself.
Julia has helped me tremendously. She was so understanding and supportive, encouraging me all the way to help me stop smoking and remain smoke-free. Using the patches and the inhalator has been extremely helpful, and I don’t think I could have quit without these products and the support from our weekly meetings.
Not only has quitting saved me a great deal of money, but my health has also improved. Due to the severity of the COPD caused by many years of smoking, the improvement has not been dramatic. However, I am eating much better, have put on some much-needed weight, and friends and family have commented on how much better I look.
A cigar is tobacco wrapped in a tobacco leaf instead of paper, and the tobacco is processed differently. Cigar tobacco is dried, cured, and fermented to give it a distinct flavor. Cigar smoke has higher levels of nicotine and a high concentration of carbon monoxide. The nicotine gives a burning sensation to the mouth and throat, making it harsher and more difficult to inhale.
Cigars have the same toxins and carcinogens, often in much greater quantities. Nicotine in cigar smoke is absorbed through the lining of the mouth, giving the smoker a buzz. The rest of the toxins in the smoke cause at least a doubling of the risk of lung cancer and a fourfold greater risk of cancer of the throat and larynx.
Cigar smoke is the worst type of tobacco smoke pollution. The smoke from an average cigar equals the second-hand smoke from 3-5 cigarettes. Smokers who have switched from smoking cigarettes, like I did, usually do inhale and run the same health risks as smoking cigarettes, such as lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, and heart and circulation problems. Stop—don’t switch!
