“I’ve seen my Dad die with cancer, my mother died with cancer, two sisters, and I got another that’s not too well at the moment. All that came through cigarettes… I’ve since chucked away drinking and smoking at the same time - cold turkey on both of them!

…When I was smoking I was spending too much time outside and I used to look through the doors into the kitchen and see the kids all in there and I’ll be out there and I’d have another smoke I’ll be in there in a minute and I’ll go and see them but then I’d have another smoke and it was just too much and I wanted to be with them more you know.”

Read the transcript:

I’ve seen my Dad die with cancer, my mother died with cancer, two sisters, and I got another that’s not too well at the moment. All that came through cigarettes. And I remember the old man used to be there coughing in the room and smoking and that, emphysema towards the end, and I don’t want to go down that track too you know?

And I got three little children at home that if possible I’d want to try and be there a bit longer with them. I’ve just had enough you know, and realised that it’s not doing me any good.

I feel like if I’m not going to do it now, I’ll never do it.

I’ve since chucked away drinking and smoking at the same time, cold turkey on both of them! Just the smell of cigarettes now I just don’t like it. I didn’t know it was so bad! Just a really horrible smell.

My son, he’s a smoker, and yeah I sort of say ‘You know I’m trying to give it up buddy, I just, yeah I just don’t need it around me at the moment you know?’

And he respects that, yeah, doesn’t smoke in the car and that. He’ll put the cigarettes in the boot ‘til we finish the journey or whenever I want to pull up then he’ll have a cigarette.

When I was smoking I was spending too much time outside, and I used to look through the doors into the kitchen and see the kids all in there and I’ll be out there and I’d have another smoke. I’ll be in there in a minute and I’ll go and see them but then I’d have another smoke.

And it was just too much and I wanted to be with them more, you know?

It’s a long journey but the kids are starting to notice the difference slowly. Yeah even myself, I’m feeling a lot more closer to my kids too. We’ll go down and we’ll grab an ice-cream or grab a drink with them, you know so a bit more time I want to spend at the beach with them yeah. Just the simple things.

I finally come to the conclusion that I don’t want to smoke no more hopefully take it day by day now to clear my life and lead a better life.