It was a life-changing choice and he strongly recommends smokers to give it up.

“I absolutely noticed the change in my health, within weeks my lungs felt healthier,” Mr Brigden said.

“My close friends noticed the change, I was happier, felt very confident that I had kicked the habit.”

Hypnotherapy was the secret to Mr Brigden’s success story – he had no withdrawals, no pain or crankiness.

“I was positive that hypnotherapy would work and I wasn’t disappointed,” he said.

“I knew after my first session that it had been successful, I attended another session but didn’t go to the recommended third session.

“I knew it had worked on me.”

Along with health benefits, he has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, being a mum motivated Shoalhaven-based Angelina to quit smoking.

“My daughter was three and I had managed to change to rollies as a way to cut down,” she said.

“I was down to 2-3 smokes a day at the time.

“My bedtime smoke was my ‘escape’ my five minutes of relaxation before the hectic routine of putting her to bed.

“One night, she idled out the front door in her nappy, sat next to me and asked me for the lighter. She had rolled her own cigarette. I put out my smoke and took her inside. I gave away my tobacco and never looked back.”

Angelina struggled with withdrawals for a few days, but her health improved and her self esteem improved.

“My family and friends were supportive - except those that still smoked,” she said.

“Her father (we’re separated) still smokes and she’s now eight. She watches the tv ads about smoking, she begs him to quit because she believes he will die early and she’ll no longer have a dad. No Child should have to live with that fear - let alone watching their parent choose to partake in something that will kill them. 

“To other parents I would say this, choose life, choose your children. Show them how much you love them - but not just how much you love them, how much you love yourself. Because they watch you and model their lives on yours, even if they don’t want to. They’ll never learn to love themselves and make healthy lifestyle choices if they don’t think they’re worth it.”

The Shoalhaven Local Government Area has a high proportion of smokers estimated 21.6 per every 100 people compared to the national average of 16.1 per 100 people. 

An overwhelming number of people responded to a call out via Facebook on the Shoalhaven News page, asking locals if they had quit smoking and would be willing to talk about it in an interview.

Within a day more than 100 locals responded with pride about their life-changing decision to quit smoking.

If you are a smoker, and you’d like to quit, there is help available.

Join a study conducted by researchers at the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Population Health that offers smokers either video support sessions via Skype or FaceTime, telephone support calls or written materials to help them quit smoking.

Study participants will also be asked to complete a brief online survey about smoking habits initially and then four months, seven months and 13 months later.

For more information, visit the study’s website.