'The feeling that I do not need to smoke is amazing': Charleville man urges smokers to get help to quit

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026 - 17:57

Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent

A man living in Charleville, who cut 20 minutes from his marathon time after quitting smoking, has urged other smokers to get help this year.

Almost twice as many people used the HSE Quit service in the first three months of last year, at 16,508, as during all of 2021 at just 8,601, new figures show. About half had stopped already by the end of the course.

Krok (Bart) Przemyslaw started smoking as a teenager and began trying to quit in his early 20s.

“Between pressure at work and smoking I noticed my face was red and I was stressed looking. My blood pressure was up, and smoking was expensive,” he said.

His love of marathon running helped him pause smoking only.

“I tried lozenges and patches on my own but always went back to cigarettes after two weeks,” he said.

Early last year, he tried the HSE service. This offered free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and support from a trained adviser.

“Beverly explained how to use the NRT correctly and to use enough to manage my cravings,” he said.

Some people quit for their children or other loved ones, but he said the difference is the advisers understand addiction and withdrawal.

“No one else understands what is happening in your head,” he said.

When you are quitting, you are anxious, you are nervous, frustrated to the maximum. You have symptoms of withdrawal.

"These are so strong you have a second voice in your head saying ‘just smoke one more cigarette’ and then you are back to one packet per day. It’s frightening.”

Bart, originally from Poland, said: “I want to tell people to try this, it is completely different to quitting alone. It’s 99% harder alone than when you have somebody with you.”

He opted for remote support although in-person help is available.

“I’m so busy with all of the training, the gym and work [at Marriott International in Cork], that remote was the main point,” he said.

“It was so handy I could schedule the times, even to choosing the hour, which was amazing.”

His latest marathon then really brought home the changes.

“I completed the Brussels marathon in under three and a half hours, and I didn’t smoke afterwards,” he said.

“I improved my personal best by 20 minutes so the results are in numbers really. That’s a good start. I am free now after so many years. The feeling that I do not need to smoke is amazing.”

He invested the money he saved by not smoking in a drone to track his training and his new love for hiking.

“I made a video and song about my activities to show Beverley how I’ve replaced smoking with new interests and thank her for supporting me,” he said.

The HSE has urged smokers who wishes to quit to contact its free service.

HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme national lead Martina Blake described smoking as “complex behaviour which has physical and psychological dependence elements”.

Specialist help from advisers means the plans are tailored to individual smokers.

“This support can double your chance of quitting by helping address the physical cravings as well as working on your smoking triggers and the emotional side of quitting smoking,” she said.