Pregnant mum shares quit smoking story as rates continue to fall across Cheshire and Merseyside

Smoking in pregnancy continues to fall across Cheshire and Merseyside, with a young mum from Middlewich sharing how specialist NHS support helped her quit for good during her first pregnancy.

The latest NHS data shows smoking at the time of delivery has fallen to 4.8 per cent across Cheshire and Merseyside in 2025/26, down from 6.5 per cent the previous year.

While the figure remains slightly above the national average of 4.2 per cent, the gap continues to narrow.

Public health leaders say the improvement reflects the specialist stop smoking support now available in every NHS maternity service across Cheshire and Merseyside.

One of the women who has successfully quit with that support is Mia Rogerson, 25, from Middlewich, who stopped smoking in 2024 while pregnant with her first child. She has remained smokefree ever since and is now 26 weeks pregnant with her second baby.

After smoking around 15 cigarettes a day for five to six years, Mia had tried several times to quit without success.

When she became pregnant, she was referred to her local NHS stop smoking service, where advisors helped her understand the risks to her baby and supported her with practical tools to manage cravings, including a nicotine inhalator.

She said, "They explained how every cigarette restricts the blood flow through the umbilical cord to your baby. Seeing that really put everything into perspective for me. After that, I knew I didn't want to smoke again."

Mia says boredom and stress were her biggest triggers, but more than two years later, she has remained smokefree through pregnancy, childbirth and the demands of early motherhood.

She said, "Quitting wasn't easy, but it was the best thing I've ever done. I feel healthier, I've saved money, and I know I'm giving my children the best possible start.

"If you're pregnant and worried about stopping, don't be afraid to ask for help. The support is there, and it really does make a difference."

Mia's experience reflects a wider trend across Cheshire and Merseyside, with new data from local stop smoking services showing that more people than ever are quitting with support.

More than 8,500 people successfully quit smoking in 2025/26, an increase of more than 1000 people compared with the previous year. Overall, 59 per cent of people who used a stop smoking service successfully quit – a success rate above the national average.

Every NHS maternity service across Cheshire and Merseyside now provides a dedicated Treating Tobacco Dependency service, offering specialist, non-judgemental support to pregnant women who smoke.

Ceriann Tunnah, Programme Director for Population Health at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: "Supporting pregnant women to quit smoking is one of the best things we can do to support them to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

"Every maternity service across Cheshire and Merseyside has a free treating tobacco dependency service providing tailored help to give women the best chance of staying smokefree during pregnancy and beyond."

To find your local service, visit the website here