Shelton Woolright -
Smoking status: Ex-smoker. Recently quit.
<p>Shelton came of age drumming for Blindspott, the band that set the Kiwi music scene on fire. The euphoria from the crowd at their one-off reunion at Homegrown 2009 reinforces Blindspott's place in the hearts of the nation. An ex-smoker, Shelton admits that quitting was tough and he still battles cravings, but he loves the freedom it has given him. No more interrupting studio time or missing a gig to go for a cigarette. He's currently generating hype in the London music scene with a new band, I Am Giant, and is once again set for big things.</p>
Interview
Have you ever supported friends to quit smoking?
I've got some friends that still smoke. I've got friends that are trying to quit and are having a lot of trouble, and that's kind of the sad thing. I'll get an excited mate come up to me and say "hey I've stopped smoking", and then you'll see him two weeks later having a cigarette. That's where you've got to offer encouragement and let them know that it's not really that normal to smoke. Friends that have completely quit, they feel so much better, they can do so much more in life now. I've got a close friend who quit because of their baby, that's awesome. He feels so much better now that he doesn't stink and his baby is not inhaling secondhand smoke. I'm really proud of him for that, he's teaching his kid that smoking is not normal.
What do you think are the worst things about smoking?
I didn't realise when I was a smoker, when you come back inside and sit down at a table how much you actually smell of cigarette smoke, and it's disgusting. When you're having a conversation with someone and they've just had a cigarette it's like, "Wow, do you know how much you stink?" I think that's pretty crazy.
How did you become addicted?
I experimented and then it just became something to do. It was normal, you could smoke in bars, you could go to a concert, you could smoke on stage, and now that's not normal, it's just stupid. I didn't believe I was addicted but I had to realise that I was. As soon as I walked off stage after drumming I would feel like I needed a cigarette. There's still a lot I have trouble with, like in town or whatever, you're in a bit of a party mode and you feel like a cigarette, but then you realise that you're outside in the cold and look like a bit of a monkey.
What is your advice to young people who have started smoking?
Seriously what is the point? When you break it down, what you're doing to yourself and what you look like - you're sucking on a piece of paper filled with some leaves or something - it's really pointless. There's no good side of smoking, you're just going to look like an idiot and you're going to feel like an idiot when addiction takes over. That's how I felt, and that's one of the main reasons I forced myself to stop.