Quitting smoking wasn’t easy for my husband.
How It All Began
When he was young, Gord worked at his father’s drug store, where he had easy access to cigarettes. From the store windows, he watched teenaged boys tuck their cigarette packages under their T-shirt sleeves, get into their cars, and squeal down Main Street. He could see himself being that cool. By high school, he was having about ten smokes per week. His cigarette addiction crept into our lives slowly. In university, he was having two packs a week, and during our early years of marriage, three packages a week. By 1985, he needed an entire package of cigarettes each day. Our house smelled smoky, to everyone but us, and our youngest daughter had developed respiratory issues. I was cautiously optimistic as he embarked on his third stop-smoking campaign. He had quit for six-month periods previously and resumed the habit.
Quit Smoking Journey
There were several incidents that fuelled his gradual determination to quit. On television, there were commercials depicting smoke-damaged lungs. 
Our youngest daughter was officially diagnosed with childhood asthma. The schools offered our children an education program about the harmful effects of smoking, which led our children to create a stop-dad-smoking campaign of their own. His final motivation came one evening at a party when he pulled out his pack of smokes and began offering one to each of his friends. He was stunned to discover that everyone in the room had quit. Soon afterward, he was hospitalized for a Crohn’s flare-up and had to be smoke-free for ten days. During that time, he reflected on how to quit for good. When my husband arrived home, he told me he had a plan. He was already almost two weeks smoke-free and decided to try for three weeks, developing a “one more week” philosophy.
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My usually good-natured husband, whom I adored, decided to quit smoking with no aids and was often grumpy and wretched. Soon after, he noticed our daughter’s asthma improving, which spurred him on. She wrote him many encouraging notes, always adding happy little drawings. When the cravings hit, he would ride his bike multiple times around the crescent where we lived. Soaking wet and exhausted, he would return smiling. I loved that smile. He reminded me of the main character in the children’s book ‘The Little Engine That Could’. Each year, we place a little train engine ornament on the Christmas tree, it bears the date 1985 on its side and reminds us of the uphill climb we made that year.
Lung Saskatchewan Connection
In 2015, I thought about how I could adequately honour Gord’s accomplishment. I imagined his happy, pink lungs and decided to call the Saskatchewan Lung Association (now Lung Saskatchewan) and donate $300, ten dollars for every smoke-free year. They sent him a tribute card and a Certificate of Excellence, which I glued into our scrapbook. I think this was a wonderful way to commemorate such a milestone. I also commissioned artist Audra Balion to create a sketch
depicting the size of the addiction my husband had carried around and framed it for his office. I made him a little award card of my own and placed it beside a batch of his favourite cookies. On October 19, 2025, I reminded my husband that it had been 40 years since he stopped smoking. We reached out to Lung Saskatchewan and were honored with a certificate to mark the occasion! Thank you to Lung Saskatchewan for helping us celebrate this special moment. Please share our story with the young people in your lives, and celebrate every little accomplishment with those you love. Thank you for supporting lung health.
Yours sincerely,
Maureen Haddock
P.S. On Christmas of 2025, on our 55th wedding anniversary, we celebrated the fact that Gord is probably alive because he stopped smoking. I thank him for making such a wise choice so many years ago.
Saskatchewan Quits
Are you or a loved one thinking about quitting or cutting back on smoking? Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps a person can take for their health. Join our Saskatchewan Quits Facebook Support Group, a supportive community for anyone looking to quit or reduce smoking. We share helpful tips on quitting, lung health, wellness, and inspiring stories.
Over the past five years, we’ve supported more than 1,300 people through our Quit Smoking Challenge, and our Saskatchewan Quits Facebook community has grown to nearly 1,000 members. Everyone’s quit journey is different. Wherever you are on yours, this group is here for YOU.
Visit www.SaskQuits.ca for more information.