Reporter Sabah Meddings, right, has her photo analysed by software to show what she would look like at the age of 60 as a smoker. With her is Katie McGoldrick, team leader for Smoke Free Norfolk, Picture: Denise Bradley

Greeted by a volunteer dressed as a larger than life cigarette, the SmokeFree Norfolk event was attended by health professionals and campaigners in the quit smoking effort.

The day, staged at the British Heart Foundation’s furniture shop on Castle Meadow, also inlcuded a computer designed to show the effects of smoking on our appearance if we don’t stop.

At 24, ageing isn’t something that overly troubles me, but the thought of seeing my face 30 years on didn’t inspire much excitement.

Studies show that smoking ages and dulls the skin, causing a change in colour and increased lines.

After taking a picture of my face, it was transformed into the face of a smoker and non-smoker 30 years on. The effect was shocking, and the crinkled, sagging face of the ‘smoker me’ was horrible to look at.

Wrinkles covered my discoloured face and was almost unrecognisable. However, it was just as depressing to see my ‘non-smoker’ face 30 years on, which still seemed a world away from the face that greets me in the mirror.

I’m not sure if at 24 seeing my future face would stop me from smoking – perhaps at a later age it would have more of an impact.

If anything though, it is a powerful tool in stimulating conversation surrounding the big quit.