'Smoking took years away from my dad and me'

When Katie Freeman recalls memories of her late father, he is rarely without a cigarette in hand.

Nigel Freeman smoked for most of his life and died at the age of 74 from smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which impacted his lungs.

"Some of my earliest memories of smoking are probably of him having a pipe," Katie, from Swindon in Wiltshire, said. "Of an ashtray being in the house, of dad smoking in the car."

Katie, 47, is sharing her father's story as part of Smokefree South West's What Will You Miss? campaign, which marks 100 days until the UK's smoking ban for those born after 2008 comes into effect on 1 January.

Children aged 17 or younger will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes, aiming to stop them from taking up smoking by making it illegal for shops to sell them tobacco, to create a smoke-free generation.

Every year in the South West, around 6,600 people, external in the region die from smoking-related illnesses; the equivalent of around 18 lives lost every day.

Nigel worked long days in the dairy industry and was strongly family-oriented, but his daughter said his smoking habit shaved years off his life.

"I didn't really think about the health risks," she said. "Smoking was kind of woven into our family life."

From his 40s, Nigel began to suffer from lung and blood circulation problems and eventually put down his cigarettes and pipe.

"I think he'd been smoking for about 37 years before he was really, sort of, thinking, 'This is damaging my health'," Katie said. "And that was the motivator for stopping."

After Nigel died, Katie decided to volunteer with Smokefree South West, a partnership of 15 local authorities working alongside the NHS to support people trying to quit.

She also works in public health in Swindon, which means she has access to healthcare professionals, pharmacies and community services to recommend to people.

"I think I'm able to share that message that quitting smoking is one of the best things people can do for their health and that it's not too late to quit smoking and have more time with your family members," she said.

"I think we've seen a decline in adult smoking, but I think that masks quite profound health inequalities. Some people from our more deprived communities are more likely to smoke and experience more of the health harms from smoking."

The What Will You Miss? campaign is targeted at the 500,000 people who smoke across the South West today.

Hein le Roux, deputy medical director for NHS England South West, said: "This campaign isn't about judging people or telling them something they don't already know.

"It's about helping people think about the moments, milestones and people that matter most to them, while reminding them that effective support is available."

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