Sue Mountain

Smokefree Campaigner

Biography

Sue Mountain is a smokefree campaigner from South Shields.  She became involved in the smokefree campaign after being diagnosed with cancer of the larynx 3 times because of smoking.  Sue started smoking at the age of 11 because she wanted to fit in and feel grown up.  Sue never thought about cancer when she began smoking, however as she matured and had a family, cancer was a worry especially when the pictures on packets began.  Sue found quitting really difficult and tried to do this a number of times but each time the smoking addiction won.  Following her third diagnosis of cancer, Sue needed radiotherapy and after which she couldn’t eat, drink, swallow or talk – the last thing on her mind was a cigarette.  Sue began campaigning because she don’t want another child to begin smoking and any more families to go through the hell that her family went through as they went through the cancer journey with her.