Great-grandad quits smoking after 69 years

A great granddad has proved it really is 'better late than never,' quitting smoking 69 years after he took up the habit.

Eighty-three year old Reg Avis, from Bedhampton kicked the habit after smoking his first cigarette at just 14 years old. He smoked an average of 15 cigarettes a day, spending more than £100,000 on the 377,775 cigarettes he has smoked during his lifetime.

"I had my first cigarette when I was 14. Everyone my age was smoking, it was no big thing and it was so cheap. It just became a habit," he told Portsmouth's local newspaper The News.

Reg was encouraged to get rid of his habit after a spell in hospital, during which he suffered breathing difficulties. Doctors warned him that his smoking was impacting on his health and he was advised to give up his seven decade addiction.

Over a period of 12 weeks using the help of a local stop smoking service, Reg was able to quit cigarettes for good.

"It was unbelievable that I could feel the difference just within a few days. I don't cough as much and my breathing's better. I'm glad I've given up. I feel much better, I won't be going back," he added.

Reg is now encouraging others to follow his lead, by quitting smoking. There are a range of methods that can be used including stop smoking hypnotherapy. The treatment, combines hypnotherapy with cognitive behavioural therapy and neuro linguistic programming, to retrain the client's conscious and unconscious mind.

Through the therapy sessions the client's old belief's about smoking are removed from their mind and replaced with techniques that can be used to help them feel calmer and more relaxed instead of reaching for a cigarette.