Krysta Neve - Otago
Smoking status: Smokefree
Krysta from sunny Otago remembers being the one amongst her group of friends at school who didn't smoke, so she was the lookout. She sends a strong message to young people that it's okay to say no, especially because you'll be saving yourself from a lifetime of wrinkles and that terrible cigarette smell.
Interview
It's not a legacy you want to pass on to your kids.
No, no way, you don't want to show that smoking is ever good for young children.
Would you consider quitting smoking a real achievement?
Yeah, I think it's a massive achievement. By quitting you are helping yourself and you've got your whole life ahead of you now, no worries about ever getting sick from it, it's good for your family as well I guess as well, any young children that might be in your family.
So a lot of your circle of friends are smokers, how do you stay strong to turn it down?
I find that if I am friends with people they should accept me for who I am, and not try and force anything on me, because I don't want to be someone's friend who does that. So yeah, I wouldn't be their friend in the first place if they were people like that. I have no problem refusing anything and they don't even offer so it's fine.
Would you say that your friends have respected your decision to be smokefree?
Yeah. And even some of them come to me for help these days because they know that I don't smoke. I think someone that does smoke needs a good friend to help them get through it if they are quitting.