A trained nurse who used to support smokers to quit, Liz now works as a Consultant in Public Health in Nottingham City.
It’s only recently that she’s started to join the dots as to some of her career motivations – she delivers an emotional account of the impact of learning how smoking led to the untimely passing of her grandparents.
Having never met her paternal grandparents, Liz knew little about them until researching her family history and realising ‘what a massive impact smoking had on their lives’. As heavy smokers, both Vic and Essie Grundy died from smoking related causes – lung cancer and chronic bronchitis - before they reached 60. They had passed away by the 1960s, well before the first public reports of the harm of smoking were written in the 1970s. Liz talks of them being ‘part of that generation for whom this was a luxury product’ that was to be smoked anywhere and everywhere. Their son, Liz’s father, was a non-smoker. Nevertheless, he passed away at age 61 due to a heart condition and complications surrounding his lifelong asthma – upon which Liz feels his early surrounded by smoke had a definite impact.
He [Liz’s father] lived at home till he was in his 20s. He said he didn’t feel he’d breathed a breath of fresh air until he was in his 30s.
During a family house clearance, a ‘huge box of cigarette cards’ which belonged to Vic and Essie was discovered. Liz describes how sad it made her feel that cigarettes had been marketed in a way that led her grandparents and their family to value the cards so dearly – she was able to see the direct link between cigarette marketing and its impact. Liz describes how the cards themselves were clearly designed to be collectible – they were colourful, bright, and full of imagery ‘associated with freshness’ – the outdoors, wildlife and sports.
You build up a picture of this young man who went to the First World War, who was a pianist, but then his life was just completely cut short by a product they thought was really luxurious, really special - to the point that their children kept for decades and decades all these cards which were promotional materials. So, I know the brand they were buying, and how they didn’t meet any of their grandchildren. [Cries] Sorry, I get emotional. It was just such a waste.
Liz’s experience has taught her that people often start smoking when they are regularly exposed to it, or when they see it as the norm. They continue to smoke as they crave relief from the nicotine withdrawal, and so become addicted.
In a professional capacity, Liz has seen first-hand the effect of smoking on the lives of smokers and their loved ones with regards to their health, their finances, and social lives. She has met smokers who even feel their choice of work is limited to a role where it’s possible to smoke at regular intervals.
It was in supporting those with preventable ill-health as a nurse, that Liz found her desire to work in health promotion. She has always taken a people-focused approach to the way she views the impact of smoking – and sees the biggest impact to society as the ‘loss of joy and the loss of potential’ in affected families.
Liz has never smoked herself. When it comes to her personal feelings, she is completely non-judgemental towards smokers. She understands that smoking is an addiction, feels the fault lies with the tobacco industry, and passionately resents the industry for this.
She is always careful not to blame smokers for the impact their smoking can have on loved ones, and as such, doesn’t blame her grandparents at all. Liz feels a real sadness and anger around her story – she would have loved to have known her grandparents - but she is now more determined than ever to spread awareness of the impact of big companies promoting products that are harmful for health – be it cigarettes or something else.
People often quit because they're feeling positive and optimistic and not because they feel guilty. So I wouldn’t ever want to blame smokers… ...I don’t blame my grandparents for smoking. I blame the companies that promoted tobacco to them.
‘It’s portrayed to people, that it helps them reduce stress when it doesn’t actually do that. The biology of it is that nicotine’s a stimulant. So the stress relief is the relief from the withdrawal symptoms. We still see it portrayed in media and as something that people do when they're stressed.’
‘It's really limiting - the health impacts are huge. There’s the shorter-term breathlessness and poor lung function, through to risk of heart disease; risk of a range of different cancers; peripheral vascular disease where people sadly lose limbs. As a nurse, I saw a lot of that and it’s one reason I came into public health because I was caring for a lot of people with completely preventable ill-health.’
‘Through my work, I've always been very harsh about the product and the manufacturers, but very understanding and supportive of people who are impacted by tobacco... I would never describe myself as an anti-smoker at all. It’s a highly dangerous product, that is still marketed and promoted around the world as an aspirational thing, but it's highly addictive, and exceptionally hard to stop.’
What would I say to smokers who are thinking about quitting?
Well done! It's a hard thing to do! How can we support you?