To ChainsawAsh I say, "Good luck, you're gonna need it"

I started smoking when I was 16, the main reason being because a girl I liked smoked at the time (the things we do for love).

I had my last cigarette at 12.30pm on October 1st, 2009 when I was the young age of 31.

The reason I quit was because my Mum had a stroke. She was in hospital for 3 months and had to quit herself. It was a wake up call for me and I decided to quit myself.

I went cold turkey in the sense that I didn't have another cigarette but I used an inhaler and patches for about a fortnight. I gave up on those though when a nurse told me that having not had a single cigarette, the patches where probably pumping too much nicotine into my system and where probably affecting my concentration.

That can be a bit of a nuisance like when you walk into a room and forget what you went in there for but I took it to the next level and drove straight through a red light because I wasn't concentrating (don't worry, there wasn't an accident but it scared the shit out of me).

I must admit I was a bit of an arsehole to be around for the 1st month. Yelling at my family and co-workers for no reason at all but they where all understanding. I calmed down after a month though.

I still get cravings from time to time but I'm proud of quitting, I've done very well and having one would undo all the hard work I put into quitting.

I'm still going to celebrate England winning the World Cup with a Cuban Cigar though. Luckily, that's never gonna happen again.