Sunderland family give up smoking after 116 years
May 12 2010 by Helen Rae, The Journal
A NORTH East family who have collectively smoked for more than 116 years have kicked the habit.
Freda Oliver and her daughters Tracy and Keeley have all stopped smoking to improve their health and save money.
And dad William, 59, is planning to follow in his family’s footsteps and stub out his last cigarette for good.
Freda, who smoked 20-25 cigarettes a day for more than 40 years, was the first to take the plunge after seeing help offered as part of No Smoking Day advertised at a local shop.
The 62-year-old, of Fordfield Road, Ford Estate, Sunderland, said: “I’d been thinking about stopping smoking for a while, not only for my health, but also for the sake of money.
“I knew I couldn’t do it on my own so when I saw it advertised at the shop I decided to go”.
Freda and her family have received help from an NHS South of Tyne and Wear project, which trains Sunderland community centre workers to support people who want to stop smoking. A total of 27 workers in 21 community centres in the region have been trained since November and together have enlisted 120 quitters.
David Bailey, Community Action Worker at Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, which is part of NHS South of Tyne and Wear, said: “We have free stop smoking support services at locations across Sunderland - from GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals to workplaces.
“The aim of this initiative is to increase choice further and make use of resources such as community centres, which offer flexible opening times and comfortable surroundings”.
