Ellen’s Story: Quitting smoking and vaping for good

After a health scare, Ellen decided to make a change and quit vaping for good. In this video, Ellen shares her story about quitting smoking and vaping, the benefits of her new healthy lifestyle and encourages others to seek support.

02:17

0:01
Quitting may not be easy, but it’s possible and it’s worth trying again.


0:06
My name is Ellen. I am 36.


0:08
I am originally from the Philippines and I’m now living in Sydney.


0:12
I started smoking back in college when I was 18 and I managed to be able to quit for 4 years in 2013, but unfortunately I relapsed.


0:22
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and to cope with the stress I turned to vaping.


0:31
Earlier this year, I had a really terrible asthma attack.


0:34
I caught myself coughing uncontrollably in the middle of the night and I had to sit upright to be able to catch my breath.


0:41
That’s when I realised that vaping was harming my health and I needed to quit for good.


0:48
After the frightening episode, I decided to quit cold turkey.


0:52
It was very hard in the beginning, but I have stayed smoke-free and vape-free for 8 months now.


0:58
I still get occasional craving from seeing people smoking or vaping, but then I try to remember why I quit and it’s for the sake of my health.


1:08
After a few weeks of quitting, I started to do yoga and Pilates.


1:12
I noticed a difference in my heart rate, my breathing was normal and I wasn't catching my breath when I was doing the poses in yoga.


1:20
After that during night time, I have better sleep, and I noticed a difference in my breathing.


1:26
After a few weeks of not vaping anymore, the wheezing from the asthma has been gone.


1:33
If you’re trying to quit, my advice is it might take several attempts, but it’s a step closer to quitting for good.


1:41
There are several methods out there that can assist one in quitting.


1:44
One of my friends used the My QuitBuddy app to be able to track his progress.


1:49
You could also call the Quitline, or visit the Quit website (Quit.org.au).


1:53
Quitting may not be easy, but it’s possible, and it’s worth trying again.


1:58
Many people have successfully quit vaping and smoking, and you can too.

Video type:
Story
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