Stoptober inspiration: HGV driver Stuart quits smoking after 47 years
“Eight months smokefree after 47 years – if I can do it, you can too.”
For 59-year-old Stuart Audsley, an HGV driver from Derby, smoking was part of everyday life – long shifts, early starts, breaks on the road and a roll-up to “keep going”. He started smoking at 12 and was getting through around 60g of tobacco a week.
After 47 years, he says he had “given up on giving up”. But this year, something changed.
“I’m a keen hiker and love being out in nature, but I’d started to notice my breathing getting worse and a tightness in my chest on walks. I honestly believe that if I hadn’t quit, I’d have gone on to develop COPD.”
Seeing a friend successfully quit with help from his local stop smoking service prompted Stuart to try again.
“I thought, if he can do it, maybe I can too. I’d tried to quit about 15 years ago but started again four months later. This time, my health, time and money just felt too important to keep wasting on smoking.”
Backing Stoptober
Stuart is now backing the Stoptober campaign, which encourages people who smoke to make a quit attempt during October. The campaign is based on evidence that if you stop smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good.
“Stoptober is a good time to give it a go – you know thousands of others are trying at the same time, and with the right support it really is possible.”
Support that fits around shift work
Working night shifts, Stuart needed support that worked around his schedule – no easy task in a routine/manual job.
“I was pleased I could book a phone appointment at a time that suited my shifts through the Livewell website. It meant I didn’t have to choose between work and getting support.”
During his call, Livewell advisor Kirsty Freeman talked him through the free nicotine products available and the option of varenicline, a prescription tablet that reduces cravings and makes smoking less satisfying. After 14 days on the tablets, Stuart quit on 1 February 2026.
Kirsty also recommended the NHS Quit Smoking app, which Stuart describes as “invaluable”:
“The app really helped me stay focused. I’ve now got a 165-day smokefree streak and it shows I’ve saved about £1,395 – seeing those numbers adds to the motivation.”
“It wasn’t easy – but it was worth it”
Stuart is honest that the first few weeks were tough:
“I kept away from social situations for about a month because I didn’t feel in the mood. But once I got through those early weeks, it became easier.
As a lifelong smoker, varenicline worked really well for me and Kirsty’s support, plus the app, kept me on track.”
Eight months on, the benefits are clear – especially for someone who relies on their health for work and hobbies:
“I feel a thousand times better than I did eight months ago. Smoking was stopping me enjoying my passion, but now I can comfortably walk 12 hilly miles with 3,000ft of ascent.
I’ve rejoined a local walking group and I’m training for two big challenges next year, including the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland – 230 miles in some of the toughest walking terrain in the UK. I’d never have managed that as a smoker.”
A message to other drivers and manual workers
Stuart knows many people in jobs like his – HGV drivers, warehouse staff, trades and other routine/manual roles – feel that smoking “goes with the territory” or helps them cope with long, demanding shifts.
“If you work shifts or drive for a living, it’s easy to think you can’t quit because of the routine, boredom or stress. But getting the right support made all the difference for me.
My advice to anyone thinking about quitting is: give it a try and get support from Livewell or your local service, even if you’ve relapsed before. If I can do it, you can too and Stoptober provides the ideal opportunity.”
How Livewell can help this Stoptober
Livewell offers free stop smoking support to Derby residents, including people working in routine and manual jobs.
You can get:
- One-to-one support from trained advisors
- Free nicotine products and vapes for up to 10 weeks
- Telephone appointments that fit around your shifts
- Drop-in clinics across the city to pick up treatments and get a carbon monoxide test
- Practical tips to cope with cravings at work, on breaks and at home
To find out more and book a telephone appointment online, visit the Livewell stop smoking page .
