Quitting smoking has been a long journey for Adrian Murphy – more than 45 years in fact.

But a healthier statistic on No Smoking Day is the fact the Walsall father of one is now 143 days smoke free, and he prefers it this way.

Now 52, Adrian recalls having his first experience of smoking at the tender age of seven when he came across a cigar at his nan’s and tried it.

He is one of many successful converts to the 12-week programme that Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust offers to patients who are smokers and willing to try to give up.

The in-house QUIT programme, which launched in December 2022, aims to help all inpatients who smoke to make lasting changes.

“I’ve surprised myself,” said Adrian, who also has emphysema, a lung condition which causes a shortness of breath. “I’ve never really tried to stop before – I always saw it more as a habit rather than an addiction – but I was feeling so poorly that I decided to give it a go.

“With the help of Alison (Yates, Tobacco Dependency Advisor at Walsall Healthcare) and the nicotine patches, it’s been incredibly successful and I feel like I can carry on.

“I’ve been breathing a bit better, food has been tasting nicer and I’m not feeling as stressed as I was before. Before, when I woke up, my first thought was to have a cigarette but that has stopped now.

Research shows those who smoke are more likely to develop dementia, and this year’s theme is ‘stopping smoking protects your brain health’.

Adrian added: “Stopping smoking did make me feel better and clearer.”