For more than 20 years, former nurse Sharon Reid puffed up to 40 cigarettes a day.

She had a persistent cough and regular bouts of bronchitis.

She also had to suffer constant nagging to give up from her four daughters Kimberley, twins Katie and Katrina, 22, and Kelly, 26 - they were even paid by her father Fred to break any of her cigarettes they found at their Brighton home so she could not smoke them.

But eventually she decided to take the plunge and now she is one of eight people nominated as Quitter of the Year 2003, run by Quit, the charity which helps smokers to stop.

Mrs Reid, 48, said: "My daughters were on at me all the time.

"My dad also wanted me to give up and paid my daughters to break up any cigarettes of mine they saw.

"My dad was a smoker and had given up and he was keen for me to do the same.

"Deep down I knew they were right and it was only because they cared. I had constant health problems and I just knew it was time to stop."

Mrs Reid decided if she was going to give up she would do it at once.

She spent her cigarette money on Nicorette patches.

She said: "I haven't touched a cigarette since the day I decided to give up.

"I did not want to do it in stages. I just decided to stop and deal with it.

"It was very hard at first to give up such a long-term habit.

"I did not go out of my way to avoid places where people would be smoking. I thought that if I could not cope without a cigarette in these environments then I never would.

"People would forget and offer me a cigarette but I managed to stick it out."

Meanwhile, she made her way through packet after packet of chewing gum.

She said: "It made me think about other things than cigarettes.

"I was probably pretty crabby while I was trying to give up but people were good about putting up with it.

"The habit of picking up something and putting it to my mouth was so strong, after dinner I would find myself chewing a pen.

"I used to make a note of each day that went past without a cigarette. And as the weeks went past it got better and better."

She began to notice her breathing was easier, her sense of smell was better and her taste was a lot sharper.

Mrs Reid's father was diagnosed with cancer and died earlier this year.

She had already given up smoking by the time she started working in intensive care and what she saw helped her stay off cigarettes.

She said: "If someone smokes and then develops problems with their chest and lungs, they can take longer to recover than a non-smoker.

"If you do smoke and you are thinking about stopping then go for it. It doesn't matter how many you smoke a day, it is still possible."

Mrs Reid says she has never felt better.

Her bronchitis and pleurisy have disappeared and the family are off to Cyprus next year for her daughter's wedding.

Kimberley nominated her mum for the award.

She said: "I'm really proud of my mum. After smoking for 20 years, quitting must have seemed impossible but it's not.

"I want people to be inspired by her so they don't have to go through what my family went through when someone dies of cancer due to smoking."

The Quitter of the Year Awards are being announced by GMTV's John Stapleton in London on November 26.

The winner will be awarded £2,000 in holiday vouchers.

Anyone interested in giving up smoking is invited to call the Quit helpline on 0800 002200.