A forty-a-day smoker has given himself a new lease of life by kicking the cigarette habit.

Bill Tinsley, 52, has not smoked for more than a year and says he feels he has been born again.

Mr Tinsley, who is the stage door manager at the Theatre Royal Brighton, is one of Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust's (PCT) success stories.

The PCT's smoking cessation service has helped numerous people give up and is now stepping up its campaign as the countdown to the national smoking ban's arrival in July continues.

Mr Tinsley, from Brighton, had been smoking for 37 years so he knew giving up was going to be particularly difficult.

He said: "It just got to the point where I was sick and tired of smoking and the way my whole life was dependent on it.

"All around me smoking was getting banned including the theatre, aeroplanes and everywhere.

"It was costing me £70 a week to smoke and I wanted to be rid of the whole rigmarole."

Over the years Mr Tinsley had tried giving up by using alternative methods such as hypnotism and acupuncture but they did not work.

He said: "When I was being hypnotised all I could think about was that I wanted to get out of the session and have a cigarette.

"If I was going to give up I would have to do things differently."

Mr Tinsley signed up for a stop smoking clinic and has not looked back since.

He started off on nicotine patches but because he was such a heavy smoker he also needed to use a nasal spray.

He said: "It was a good few months to get myself sorted out because I felt as if I was getting addicted to the spray instead.

"But the stop smoking team stuck with me and helped me through it with one-to-one support sessions. They were so helpful.

"I gradually came off the patches and the spray and now I am a complete non-smoker. I can even socialise with other smokers and I don't feel the urge to have a cigarette.

"It has made such a difference. I feel much more active and healthier than I did.

"I would recommend visiting the stop smoking service to anyone. You've got to want to give up in the first place but if you are serious then they will do everything they can.

"If they can help a heavy smoker like me then they can help anyone."

From July 1, smoking in enclosed public spaces will be outlawed and the PCT is helping businesses as well as smokers prepare for the ban.

For information about how to prepare your business for the ban or for advice on quitting smoking, visit the website at www.smokefreeeastsussex.org.uk or call the free NHS stop smoking service on 01273 267397.

Have you managed to kick the habit ahead of the smoking ban? Leave your comments below.