Everyone else was doing it and I was part of that group. I could stand and have a chat and have a smoke and seem normal, that was the one thing I liked about smoking. I was very sick from that first drawing it in with the dizzy spells but I liked the sweet taste of it so after a while it just became a habit.

To be honest I actually don’t like the smell of it now, I can actually smell it on clothes. My partner who just is half way quitting he knows not to smoke around me cos I actually don’t like the smell of it, as where before it smelt like perfume now it don’t.

Two sides of it, one I promised my Dad, and then he passed on, so I sort of made the commitment for him. And I also was employed in a job and part of it was talking to women about cutting back and reducing smoking, so I thought I’m not going to be a hypocrite talking to these women about reducing smoking while I’m smoking myself, so yeah the job and my father.

I’ve got three daughters who smoke and a son whose taken up cigarettes. I’ve also got other family members who smoke but the good thing about it, because I don’t smoke I don’t have to buy smokes, and they know not to ask me. Well I tell them that in the long run they are going to suffer because they can’t afford it, its an addiction and when they haven’t got a smoke they’re grumpy, irritable and they’re not normal. I smoked through all my pregnancies, I didn’t know any better back then.

My advice to you guys is give your children that you’re carrying into this world a chance because whatever you inhale they inhale and you’re actually damaging their lungs. If you want to smoke in today’s society, you better make sure you have a good job to pay for the packets because the prices are going up and its harder and harder, so my advice is quit while you’re ahead. Now I think it is cheaper to take it up when I was younger I thought it was good to do it but now I know the ill effects and the bad things about it and advise you don’t do it.