Julie’s story

“I started smoking when I was a teenager and have never really stopped – I do feel guilty though for smoking around my kids when they were little.”

Julie is in her 40s, and has grown up kids.

“I really want to quit now because I’ve got this dreadful cough all the time!

“I went to the stop smoking service and the lady was trying to explain how much I would save by not smoking – she was talking about each packet of cigs costing nearly a tenner and I said I usually pay less than £5. She laughed and said “Where do you buy your cigarettes – the 1990s?” I told her that we have a local Facebook Buy and Sell group where people sell off their excess duty free when they’ve been on their holidays.

“She pointed out that no one has been on their holidays for months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, which made me think….the same people are still selling so where are they getting these cigarettes from?”

The above story is based on a report that we have received.