Limerick mum says HSE QUIT service helped her stop smoking for good

A LIMERICK mother-of-four is encouraging smokers to seek support to quit after successfully breaking a long-term nicotine addiction with help from the HSE Mid West QUIT stop-smoking service.

Claire Crawford lives in Rhebogue, is now 29-years-old and has smoked since she was a teenager.

She was referred to QUIT Mid-West through University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) during her fourth pregnancy.

With support from the stop smoking advisor, Niamh Keating, Claire stopped smoking immediately.

She was completely free from nicotine within 20 weeks and has now been a non-smoker for almost a year and a half.

October is recognised as national ‘Stoptober’ month and Claire said that she has really seen the health and cost benefits of quitting.

The mother-of-four used to spend around €150 a week on smoking. Now she uses that money towards family activities.

“I have more energy, my health is better, and my children are growing up in a smoke-free home. When my youngest baby was born, I was able to breastfeed him, and I’d never experienced that before because I was a smoker. That was amazing.

“I had a caesarean section, as with my previous pregnancies, only this time there was a massive difference in the recovery. The support I received from Niamh and QUIT through all this was incredible, and I’m never going back.”

Claire explained that she had tried to quit before, but had never been successful.

“I’d tried to stop many times before, especially during pregnancy, but I could never last more than a few hours,” said Claire.

“When I was referred to QUIT, I was determined to stop. The regular support and advice made all the difference.”

Claire credits the programme’s weekly check-in calls and practical guidance with helping her overcome cravings and stay on track.

“Niamh was approachable, understanding and realistic. She helped me identify my triggers and gave me strategies to deal with cravings. Knowing I’d be speaking with her every week motivated me to keep going. Before I knew it, I had reached a year smoke-free.”

Under the HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, helping pregnant women to stop smoking is a priority.

Around 5,000 women access the Limerick maternity hospital’s antenatal services annually, with maternity staff trained to identify smokers, provide advice and refer them to HSE QUIT services for ongoing support.

The stop smoking advisor with QUIT Mid-West, Niamh Keating, said that Claire’s success reflects the value of personalised support.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Claire on her quit journey. Her story is one of determination and commitment.

“She trusted the process, believed in herself and has achieved a life-changing result. I hope her experience inspires others to take the first step.”

Director of midwifery at UMHL, Eileen Ronan said: “The antenatal midwifery team at UMHL are delighted to have availed of Making Every Moment Count (MECC) training, which has supported many women being referred to the QUIT service.

“Claire’s story has demonstrated the importance of this training and the service itself.”

Mary McMahon, tobacco lead, HSE Mid-West, said: “Claire’s story shows how effective specialist support can be. Smoking involves both physical and psychological dependence, and our trained advisors work with people to develop a personalised quit plan.

“Support and nicotine replacement therapy are available free of charge through the QUIT service.”

For information, visit https://www2.hse.ie/living-well/quit-smoking/.