Christine is a married mum with 3 kids.   Her motivation to quit was her mum’s emphysema and how scared she is for her mum and what her own life might be like if she keeps smoking. Seeing her “more of less lifeless, no energy scared the crap out of me.’

Christine used to smoke 15-12 / day spending around $46 for a packet of 40s.

Christine, at the time of the interview had been smoke-free for 130 days, 2 hours, 58 minutes and had saved many thousands in money, avoided a lot of tar into her lungs and has a lapse free status (all according to her MyQuitBuddy app) She looks this all the time on her phone to remind herself of why she no longer smokes.  She also used the games on it to distract herself from cravings.  Checking her status and doing the games became her new habit. It convinced her it was working.  Wendy, her QuitTas counsellor told her how to use the app and all its features.

When we asked Christine for some tips and hints for others wanting to quit, here’s what she said:

• Wouldn’t have given up now if the doctor hadn’t given me the referral
• You can only do it when you’re ready and I said ‘yep, let’s do it’
• Got to be in the mindset, gotta be ready. I’ve always wanted to.
• I thought it (QuitTas) was for when you’d already slipped up, didn’t realise it was ongoing.
• Great support. Don’t know how they put up with me.
• I started looking forward to the message reminders.
• Knowing if you slip up you’re not going to be judged. You will be supported through that.
• I’d always had a smoke with an energy drink. Energy drinks and smokes just went together. Took me a whole day to think about, to work out not to do them together. I had to cut them down so they weren’t a trigger.
• Trigger is old memories such as what I did after shopping – I’d have a smoke. Now I have to wait for my husband too and it’s such a waste of time.
• Don’t realise how different your smell is – I’m gagging on petrol now. It smacks you in the face.
• My hands don’t smell no more.
• Helps to be around someone who doesn’t smoke.
• Not coughing my guts up every night. I can lay there without coughing.  No horrible taste in my mouth.  I have smell and taste now – different to what it was.
• My husband sill smokes – he stinks!
• Yep, I’ve told everyone about Quit. It worked. They give great support.