Anthony quits smoking aged 72 after his wife's death from COPD
Anthony Fearon, a 72-year-old resident of Failsworth, has quit smoking after 55 years, inspired by his wife's death from COPD and the financial and health benefits of quitting. With support from the NHS's ABL Stop Smoking clinic and advisor Laura Woodward, he has been smoke-free for six weeks and plans to use his savings for a holiday.
Anthony Fearon stubbed out his last cigarette six weeks ago, ending a 55-year addiction that began when he was still a teenager. The 72-year-old Failsworth man has already banked enough cash to book his first holiday since his wife died six years ago.
The former full-time carer watched COPD slowly claim his wife’s life, leaving work for two-and-a-half years to nurse her through the illness. “COPD is not a pleasant disease to see a loved one go through,” Fearon recalled. “I should have quit smoking then but we went into lockdown and it was a tough time to be on your own.”
A friend’s successful quit attempt prompted Fearon to contact Your Health Oldham’s stop-smoking clinic at Failsworth Library, just five minutes from his flat. Weekly carbon monoxide readings tracked his progress as he switched to a free NHS vape. “I call it the breathaliser! I can see my readings going down - this gives me a little boost and spurs me on,” he said.
The £70 weekly cigarette habit has vanished along with his persistent cough and breathlessness, making life easier in his upstairs flat. “I haven’t been on holiday for six years - I don’t know where I’m going to go but as long as it’s sunny I don’t mind,” Fearon said. His advisor Laura Woodward, celebrating her first successful client, praised his determination: “There’s so many different forms of NRT that can help you manage cravings… it’s just a case of finding the one that works for you.”
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