Liam Fuggle - Kapiti
Smoking status: Ex-smoker
Kapiti plumber Liam has been a social smoker but regrets taking it up. He reckons it's not as social as it used to be and now considers himself a nonsmoker. The price of smoking is only increasing so there has never been a better time to quit and feel the benefit of that extra money.
Interview
So what year did you start smoking?
What year did I start, I wouldn't have a clue. It soon caught up to me aye and I thought about it, like you think, oh I only did it with my mates and that aye, but it's been like seven years. You wouldn't see much of a future with it but it catches up aye.
Would you consider quitting smoking to be a real achievement?
Yeah I would. You'd save alot of money and you'd have more toys to play with you know like motorbikes and all that cos you wouldn't have to pace it out and buy smokes you'd have all these cool toys because there'll end up more money at the end of the day.
The stats are coming down, but why do you think young people are still starting?
Oh just a growing thing, you know it's people just want to try, and then just get pressured into it, and your mates do it and that. Then you say oh I'll do it. Quite a lot of my mates didn't like it you know, weren't influenced or anything. It was more another group of my mates that were doing it and they thought it was cool and you find out five years later you're still doing it but you're not hanging out with those mates.
Would you say you're a smoker, ex-smoker, non smoker, what's your smoking status?
Ex-smoker, but I do find it hard when I drink, just cause you're weak when you drink, it's real hard aye.