DAY 14 Perry -- Bermondsey

Listening to: Stone Temple Pilots -- Vasaline

Emotion: Elated

I wake up early and have a cigarette in bed. It’s a pastime that contributes to 120 deaths and nearly 1300 injuries every year in the U.K. (Do you smoke after sex? Only if I’ve been doing it fast enough!)

Today is my last day as a smoker and if I’m totally honest and truthful I can’t wait to see the back of it.

I no longer smell cigarettes as I used to as I’m smoking all the time but every now and again I walk into a room of my flat and the stench hits me. The first thing I’m going to do tomorrow, my first day as an ex-smoker is to clean my home throughout and complete several loads of washing… oh the joy!

I’m sat outside the Tate collecting my thoughts and eating a spot of lunch. Of course I have a cigarette afterwards, my ninth of the day and it’s only 2.10pm.

I feel a bit guilty out here as there are hundreds of children around. I cup the cigarette in my hand. I don’t like smoking in front of children. I don’t want them thinking it’s cool to smoke because it’s not. I don’t need cigarettes to be cool. Cool is a state of mind and I’m ice cold baby!

Mind you, anyone who’s seen me smoking will testify I certainly don’t look cool when I’m indulging.

I meet Kate and head to Zakudia, a beautiful first floor bar on the South Bank. Dr Sunny Kaul and Dr. Ranak arrive shortly afterwards.

I chose this bar for several reasons to meet with the two doctors to discuss our last two weeks of Smoke Swap now it is reaching its’ end.

Firstly, it was one of the first bars I sold in the Marlboro cigarette bar display furniture.

Secondly, the impending smoking ban will be felt in bars more than any other public place -- good or bad.

Thirdly, the manager, a gentleman by the name of Siseho is an ex-smoker

Forth and lastly when the ban comes into effect the manager is taking out the cigarette vending machine so not only will the venue be smoke free, you won’t be able to buy cigarettes in it.

I look at Kate as she tells the doctors her story of the events of the last two week. She has gone from a pro-smoker who didn’t care about the long term effects of her habit to someone who has been on a journey of self discovery, found an inner strength and confidence from breaking the addiction to cigarettes.

She can apply this new found confidence to other areas of her life and go forward a happy, healthy, beautiful and successful human being. In fact she has gone so far in two week she has started to sound like a anti-smoker telling us stories of other people she knows who smoke and she has been trying to tell them to give up.

I on the other hand have only had nine cigarettes today so I take a pack from my pocket and offer Kate one. She rightly refuses. I’m very proud of her. I apologise to Kate and the doctors present and light up. The smoke seems to gravitate cruelly towards Kate. I smoke my last cigarette. I don’t enjoy it. I know it’s my last. I will never smoke again.

Five minutes later and I’m once again a non-smoker. In fact now I’m an ex-smoker. I never thought I’d hear myself saying that. How am I going to explain this the next time I apply for insurance.

SMOKES TODAY – 10 out of 10

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxHIYSxC4Ks

Old School Public Health Warning -- Smoking in Bed (1978)

The dangers of Smoking in Bed

Smoking in Bed Deaths

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DAY 11 Perry -- Barcelona

Listening to: U2 – Crumbs from your Table

Emotion: Exhaulted

I’m now into day 11 of smoke Swap or as I now like to think of it as 3 days to go until I stop smoking. Just three days from now, (not that I’m counting down the days… but I am) and I’ll be a non-smoker or an ex-smoker.

I’m in with the in crowd. The whole team have now excepted me as a smoker and models and crew alike offer me cigarettes as they would anyone else they know who smokes.

I refuse to offer anyone a cigarette, not because I’m tight but because of my own moral justification and code. I simply don’t want to encourage anyone to smoke. If anyone asks for a smoke however, I do oblige.

One of the models today informs me she has just finished six years studying to be a doctor and is now about to start her first year as a general practitioner in Barcelona Hospital. She says she should be setting a good example as we share a cigarette but… The thing is, when we are young we think we are invincible. We blank out or refuse to acknowledge the consequences of our actions. Even doctors, with all their knowledge and first hand experience of the pain and suffering cigarettes cause to smokers and their families aren’t amune. The cigarette marketing propaganda that has been going on for decades warps our logical though processes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBhWAvsLH6A

The Editors -- Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors

>>> Get back your life -- Stop Smoking <<<

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Day 6 – Kate

Okay I said I wasn’t going to go out clubbing last night but what’s a girl to do?

After getting glammed up and enjoying a glass of wine we popped into a club and met the rest of the girls and drank champagne.

Everyone around me was smoking but for the first time I really didn’t see the attraction, quite the opposite. I’m getting used to having fresh smelling clothes on my bedroom floor and I’ve noticed that gross, stale smell of cigarettes on everything now I’ve stopped smoking.

I left the club early because I just couldn’t stand the smoky air. I’ll be happy to welcome in the smoking ban so my clothes and hair don’t have to smell like an ashtray anymore. And I never thought I’d hear my self saying that, in fact smoking is quite disgusting. There really isn’t any benefits from smoking at all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGpmzYUoHAM

I thought that I’d stop smoking during Smoke Swap but would return to it after the cameras had disappeared but now, for the first time I think I will stop smoking for good. This is a whole new me, Katie the ex-smoker. Life will smell sweeter now I’ve stopped smoking.

Katie’s previous post

Stop Smoking the Easy Way

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