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Former smoker from Wakefield voices their support for regional quit smoking campaign

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Jeremy Haigh from Wakefield is lending his support to Yorkshire and Humber’s first quit smoking campaign developed and filmed in the region. 

Jeremy started smoking when he was 14 years old and later quit with help from his local stop smoking service. He is urging the 36,800 smokers in Wakefield to quit. 

He said: “I always knew I wanted to quit for my kids. I have three sons – I want to be around for them as long as I can and one day meet my grandchildren. I tried to hide smoking from them for years, but they knew. My eldest two started to worry about what it was doing to my health and made comments from time to time about quitting. 
 
“I tried to quit a few times, but I’d end up thinking one cigarette wouldn’t hurt. Before you know it, you’re back to smoking again. Years turn into decades.

“As a smoker, you’re always worried about cancer. I couldn’t even say the word - it’s your biggest fear. It’s like the elephant in the room that you don’t want to talk about. 
 
“All the attempts of trying to stop in a way educated me, preparing me for the next time. Just do it. There’s never going to be a perfect time. I used to tell myself I was too busy with work, too stressed, or that I’d wait until summer, but you just have to go for it.”  

His plea coincides with the launch of the ‘Turn the Corner’ campaign which features mother and daughter, Wendy and Amy Robinson from Yorkshire and Humber, who have both successfully quit smoking after Wendy lost her mum to lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

‘Turn the Corner’ is a collaborative campaign being coordinated by the Centre for Excellence in conjunction with all 15 local authorities across Yorkshire and Humber and Yorkshire Cancer Research, who are committed to reducing smoking and protecting local communities from the harms of tobacco.  

The campaign launches this week and was filmed in the region and will run across TV, radio and social media – with a powerful message that every cigarette takes 20 minutes off a person’s life. 

“Smoking still causes huge harm, with 1 in 8 adults in the district still smoking. This campaign highlights the powerful stories of Jeremy, Wendy and Amy, showing the support available and providing the confidence to take the first step. Their experiences are a reminder that quitting isn’t just possible - it can make a real and lasting difference to people’s health.”

Rachel Bowes

Corporate Director for Adults and Health

Rachel Bowes

Tony Graham, Director of Retail, Services and Operations at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “It’s well known that smoking is strongly linked to lung cancer, but it is also a cause of at least 15 other types of cancer. It remains the biggest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, and its impact can often span generations when children grow up seeing smoking as part of everyday life. Wendy and Amy’s experiences show both the profound harm caused by tobacco and the powerful difference that quitting can make, not only for an individual’s health, but for the health and future of their family.

“Even after a cancer diagnosis, stopping smoking can significantly improve how well treatments work, support better recovery, increase the likelihood of survival and reduce the risk of cancer coming back. By standing alongside our partners in this campaign, we hope more people across Yorkshire and Humber will feel supported and encouraged to take a step towards a longer, healthier life.”

How to access free support to living smokefree:

Explore Jeremy’s full story and video here

Watch TV advert here 

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