‘When I started smoking age 12, I had no idea of the damage it was doing to my health’
Amy Robinson, right, with her baby Darcie and her mum Wendy(Image: supplied image)
Hull mum Amy Robinson, is voicing her support for the introduction of a new law designed to protect future generations from the harms of tobacco after experiencing family tragedy and heartbreak. With only 100 days to go until the new law is introduced, Amy who started smoking at the age of 12, is sharing her family story to highlight the damage caused by smoking that the future law has the power to prevent.
Every generation of Amy’s family has been touched by smoking, from the death of her grandma who had COPD to her mum, Wendy, of Cleethorpes, being diagnosed with kidney and lung cancer due to smoking. However, from January 1, 2027, it will be illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
The age of sale will then increase by one year every year, eventually phasing out the sale of tobacco across the UK. The policy protects children by preventing them from ever becoming addicted to tobacco, which is still the leading cause of preventable death in the UK.
Thirty-one-year-old Amy, who works as an activities co-ordinator in a care home, started smoking before she was a teenager and feels that the new law will stop children getting hooked on cigarettes as a child like she did. Amy quit smoking before the birth of her first child and is relieved that her daughter, Darcie, will never legally be sold cigarettes in her lifetime.
She said: “It gives me peace of mind to know that Darcie will never know smoking like I did. When I was young, smoking was everywhere and it was seen as the norm.
“When I started smoking age 12, I had no idea of the damage it was doing to my health, and I had no idea of how difficult it would be to quit. Smoking has touched every generation of my family from my grandma, who had COPD, to my mum, who has fought both kidney cancer and lung cancer caused by smoking.
“My grandma died from sepsis but because she had COPD she couldn’t undergo treatment. Watching my mum go through lung cancer was heart-breaking – the thought that I would lose her was unbearable.
“It was also my motivation for quitting – I thought if she can stop smoking after 34 years then I can quit too. Shortly after quitting, I found out I was pregnant, which was a big motivator to keep going and stay quit.
“I never want my children to be faced with the prospect of losing a family member to smoking like I have.” The Smokefree Generation policy represents a major shift in the UK’s approach to tobacco – moving beyond helping people quit after they become addicted, towards preventing future generations from becoming addicted in the first place.
The measure is expected to protect around four million young people nationally from tobacco within the next five years. Scott Crosby, associate director of Centre for Excellence, said: “This new law represents a landmark moment in public health with the potential to save so many lives and ease the burden on our economy and the NHS.
“With only 100 days to go, we’re grateful to Amy and her family for sharing their story. Health is one of the issues that matters most to people.
“Too many families have experienced the devastating impact of smoking-related illness and do not want future generations to face the same harm. The figures show that there’s strong support for it with 75 per cent of people across Humber and North Yorkshire backing a smokefree generation.
“With just 100 days to go, retailers, local authorities and enforcement agencies must work together to prepare for these changes, ensure the new law is properly implemented and enforced across the region, so that we can turn this historic opportunity into a smokefree future.” Amy and her mum, Wendy, have previously featured in the Yorkshire and Humber-wide quit smoking campaign, “Turn the Corner”.
It tells the story of Wendy’s cancer diagnosis and Amy’s journey to stay smokefree during pregnancy. The campaign will be running across TV, radio, and online in North Yorkshire and Humber until the end of October. For free, personalised support to stop smoking in Yorkshire and Humber, you can visit yestoquit.co.uk
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .