STEVEN Pugh loves nothing more than kicking a football around on the Lickey Hills with his two young children, Cassandra and Curtis, writes Emily Bridgewater.

"Sometimes I have so much energy that I wear them out," laughed Steven.

But just over a year ago such simple pleasures would leave the 48-year-old clutching at his chest and gasping for breath.

A heavy smoker, Steven had puffed away on about 30 cigarettes a day for 36 years. "I was eleven when I started smoking. In those days it was the done thing- if you didn't smoke, you were the odd one out," said Steven, who comes from Rubery.

But after a series of severe chest pains in the autumn of 2002, Steven went to see a doctor at Selly Oak Hospital, where he also works as a cook.

He was referred to a heart specialist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston who told him that one of his major arteries had narrowed slightly. This stopped oxygen from getting to his heart and was causing the pains.

"The doctor said that I had not suffered from a heart attack but I could well do so in the future if I did not stop smoking," he said.

"But I had tried to stop smoking in the past and found it impossible. I had even tried acupuncture but that did not work at all. I didn't know what to do."

Then about a year ago, Steven noticed an advertisement for the No Smoking Helpline and decided to make contact.

He was invited along to the South Birmingham NHS Stop Smoking Centre where he enrolled for a free seven-week course.

Steven explained that the first couple of sessions are used as an introduction with advice on how to deal with situations when you are most likely to want a cigarette, such as in a pub.

Quitters are also informed of the variety of nicotine replacements available from chewing gum to patches. It is not until the third meeting that group members pledge to kick the killer habit.

"You all make the decision to give up together and you certainly don't want to be the first one to give in to the cravings!" said Steven.

The subsequent sessions provide on going support and once these have finished there is a phone number available for those needing further help.

However, he stressed that he could not have stopped smoking without the help of his wife Tracy and the couple's children Cassandra, aged 11 and Curtis, eight.

"You really do need the help and support of your family. Mine has been utterly brilliant. My daughter wrote me letters thanking me for giving up and saying how proud of me she was."

Since packing up Steven has felt much healthier. "I like to sing-a-long to the radio when I am at work and I suddenly noticed that I could sing for longer and reach the high notes without becoming breathless."

He is also the first to race up onto the Lickey Hills with his children to play football.

And Steven has certainly noticed the difference to his pocket. He is using the money he has saved by quitting cigarettes to take his family to Cyprus this summer.

"It is a four-hour flight and I certainly would not have been able to manage it if I still smoked," he said.

"I am so grateful for the support and help I have received and I want to make people aware of the brilliant service which is on offer to them."

Steven is now urging other people who are thinking of kicking the habit to do so in time for National No Smoking Day on March 10.

"A lot of people do not realise it but at these no smoking centres they can get two-months worth of nicotine replacements, which will help them give up." There will also be an open day at Springfield Health Centre, Selly Oak, on March 6 between 10am and noon. For further details call 0800 0525 855 or 0800 169 0169.