A Macclesfield nurse and former smoker has shared her story.

Today (October 1) marks the start of Stoptober, a national campaign created to show smokers that they are not alone on their journey to quitting for good.

Among those who have managed to give up is Jacqui Williams, who works as a nurse in Macclesfield.

The grandmother-of-two Jacqui said: "I'd smoked for most of my life, having started when I was just 17, mainly due to peer pressure because it was the cool thing to do back then.   

"I've tried to give up so many times in the past but never fully succeeded and, even after stopping during both my pregnancies, I still started back up again. I just don't think I was ever ready to quit, something which I now realise."

Jacqui, 57, finally decided to call it quits earlier this year after realising just how much smoking had started to impact her life, including doing the things she loves.

"My wake-up call was in January this year," she said.

"My husband and I love to go on big walks and be outdoors in the countryside. We were up in the Lake District one weekend and I found myself really struggling to get to the top of a hill, to the point where everyone else was much further in front. 

"I was finding it difficult to breathe and it was very scary – when I finally made it to the top, I was just so thankful to be alive! It was then that I knew that I needed to do something and that this was my body telling me I had to make a change.  

"The first couple of weeks without smoking were definitely the hardest but, once I was past one month, I didn't look back. That's why Stoptober is so important, as it gives you a short-term goal to aim for and, once you've got there, you realise you can do it after all."

Around half of smokers in Cheshire and Merseyside say they 'really want to quit' (Credit: Pixabay)

According to recent research from the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative, 50% of smokers living in the region say they 'really want to quit'.

A similar figure (51%) are currently trying to quit or cut down with more than two-thirds (64%) having tried to quit before.

In fact, 39% have tried to give up more than once, with 13% attempting to quit at least four times.

It is estimated that smoking costs Cheshire and Merseyside around £1.75 billion per year, in NHS, social care and other costs.

 However, smoking rates are coming down, and research shows that, if a smoker manages to stay smoke-free for 28 days, they are five times more likely to quit for good.

 Dr Sarah McNulty, lead director of public health for Cheshire and Merseyside's All Together Smokefree programme, said: "Smoking across Cheshire and Merseyside continues to be a major cause of ill health and early death, and that's why campaigns like Stoptober are so important.

"Our research shows that there's a definite desire among smokers to quit for good, but it can be a daunting task to take on alone.

"That's why, during Stoptober, we want to show just how many different ways there are to get help, whether you're trying to quit for the first, second or even tenth time."