I THINK Halton’s health organisations are discriminating against old people.

In the Stoptober adverts in the World asking people to quit smoking during October there is not one picture of a retired person.

They all feature young and middle-aged former smokers.

I am in my 80s and packed in smoking after 50 years. I couldn’t afford it any more and thought it might be bad for my health.

I know many other pensioners who have successfully given up smoking. It is much more difficult to kick this habit when you’ve been smoking for a lifetime but we have all succeeded.

Yet we haven’t received any recognition.

Why don’t they use us pensioners in some of the adverts?

We could help to encourage other older people that it is worth making the effort, even after all these years.

Is it because they have written us old folk off ?

Widnes pensioner