“I was on my knees gasping for air – that’s when I knew I had to stop smoking for good.”

For nearly sixty years, cigarettes were a part of Charlie Balfour’s life. He lit his first one aged just ten, spending his pocket money to fit in with friends — and he never stopped. Now 68 and living near Berwick, Northumberland, Charlie looks back on decades of addiction with a mixture of regret and relief. Regret that he ever started. Relief that, at long last, he’s free.

“I’d tried to quit more times than I can count,” Charlie says. “I must have tried over forty times. But the cravings always pulled me back. I was spending my money on tobacco, rolling my own to save money. It was just part of my life.”

That all changed in the summer of 2025. Charlie had already been diagnosed with COPD, but when pneumonia hit — and hit hard — his life was suddenly on the line.

“I couldn’t breathe. I was literally on my knees coughing on the floor. I thought, ‘This is it.’ When I came round, I looked at my wife Yvonne and said, ‘That’s it. I’m stopping. I can’t do this anymore.’”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Charlie and his family had a summer holiday booked — a chalet in Scotland, already paid for — but he was too unwell to go. He missed a close friend’s wedding too. “I love my grandkids more than anything, but I couldn’t even go away with them. That hit me hard. I realised I was missing life because of smoking.”

When his condition worsened, Charlie was rushed to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington by ambulance. He was assessed by the Tobacco Dependency Team in the Emergency Department and then was transferred to the wards. Once he was stable Charlie was then transferred on to Wansbeck hospital.

He spent four days receiving treatment — four days that would change everything. “I didn’t think about smoking once while I was there,” he says. “They asked if I smoked straight away and gave me patches and support. It helped that you can’t smoke in the hospital or on the grounds anymore. Being in that environment made it easier.”

Charlie is full of praise for the NHS and the Tobacco Dependency Team. “The team were brilliant. They gave me everything I needed — advice, encouragement, patches — and they didn’t just stop there. I had regular follow-up calls, and it was these check-ins that really helped me stay on track. They followed my progress and congratulated me on my achievements. I really appreciated all their support — and we had a laugh too! The girls on the team said they enjoyed my banter, and that made it even more encouraging.”

The ongoing support made a huge difference. “The encouragement, the check-ins, the knowing someone was there for me — it all helped me stick with it. And now, I can feel the results every day.”

Charlie has good reasons to stay smoke-free. He’s lost people he loves — his sister and his best friend — to COPD. He’s determined not to be next. And he wants more time with his eight grandchildren, from his oldest in their 20s to his youngest, who’s just six.

“It’s my kids and grandkids who keep me going. I want to see them grow up. I want to be part of their lives for as long as I can.”

Since quitting, Charlie’s world has started to open up again. “I feel fitter. I can breathe better. I can walk further without stopping for air. I’m driving again because I’ve got more energy. And I’m back in the workshop helping train our new apprentice — something I couldn’t have done before. It’s like I’ve got part of my life back.”

The cravings haven’t vanished completely, but Charlie has a powerful way of dealing with them. “Sometimes I still think about having a cigarette. But then I remember that night, gasping for air on the floor, and the thought disappears.”

He knows quitting isn’t easy, but his message to anyone still smoking is simple and honest: “You have to want to stop — really want it. Smoking is a drug, and the first couple of weeks are the hardest. But tell your family and friends. Their support makes a huge difference. And take all the help the NHS offers — it’s there for you. The team genuinely care, and they’ll help you through every step.”

Looking back, Charlie says quitting is one of the best decisions he’s ever made. “It’s probably one of the things I thought I could never do. But I did. And I’ll never smoke again — that’s a fact.”