A Mokine woman features in the new Cancer Council smoking campaign, sharing her experience of quitting cigarette addiction.
Cherry Alexander used to smoke 40-50 cigarettes a day and kicked the habit 18 months ago.
“I smoked for 47 years and my kids were worried about me” Cherry said.
“Even when my GP told me I had early stages of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it didn’t worry me, you have to die of something, I wasn’t going to give up, I enjoyed it.”
Cherry said her children offered her $100 a week to not smoke.
“Wow I thought, if my kids are so worried about me they want to pay me to give up, I need to do it!,” she said.
Cherry did not accept the money from her children, but committed to quitting.
“It was so damn hard, I cried every day, I was miserable, I was angry at everyone and everything.”
Cherry said she got through the struggle and now feels better for it.
“I haven’t picked up a cigarette for 18 months,” she said.
“It’s not easy, you will go through all the negative emotions and feel lousy, but stick with it you can do it and you do come out the other end.
“You need a reason and my reason is my kids and grandkids, I want to be around to enjoy them.”
The campaign features a diverse group of 12 West Australians who deliver a heartfelt plea directly to camera, asking smokers ‘If you can’t quit with me, don’t smoke around me’.
Cancer Council WA Make Smoking History manager Libby Jardine said the video aimed to help people on their quit journey by rallying the support of their loved ones, especially those who continue to smoke.
The campaign is based on research conducted by the Western Australian Cancer Prevention Research Unit at Curtin University in 2015 that found seeing other people smoke cigarettes is one of the top barriers to quitting smoking.
Cancer Council WA regional education officer for the wheatbelt Karen Hansen said research shows two out of three long term smokers will die from their cigarette addiction.
“Now is as good a day as any to quit”, she said.
“There is help out there you don’t have to do it on your own.
For more information talk to your GP or call Quitline on 137848, visit makesmokinghistory.org.au.
