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\nJames started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 14 in an attempt to be like his father. Thirty years later he decided to quit and adopt a much healthier lifestyle.
\nNow 48, James has been smokefree for 2 years and has made other important changes to improve his health. He became an avid cyclist and rides up to 10 miles every day for exercise. He also enjoys swimming and does some sort of cardio exercise every morning. He says if you smoke, you should quit.
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\n \nJames\u2019 father was well-liked and influential in the community. He also smoked menthol cigarettes. So James\u2019 attempts to be more like his father naturally included smoking menthol cigarettes, starting at age 14. He recalled that the other African American kids he knew who smoked also used menthol cigarettes. But 30 years later, the damage from smoking started causing him health problems, and eventually James decided to quit.
\nNow 48, James has been smokefree for 2 years. He says quitting was hard\u2014patches and sugar-free gum helped him\u2014but his health continues to be a big motivator. Since he quit smoking, James has been able to make other important changes to improve his health. He became an avid cyclist, and began riding several miles to see his doctor at the VA hospital, \u201c\u2026a real accomplishment for me.\u201d Now that he sees a doctor closer to his home, he still makes a point to ride 9 or 10 miles every day for exercise. He also enjoys swimming and does some sort of cardio exercise every morning.
\nJames wanted to participate in the Tips From Former Smokers\u00ae campaign to send a message to people who think smoking isn\u2019t going to hurt them just because they haven\u2019t experienced a smoking-related health problem yet. He says if you smoke, you should quit.
\n\u201cI want to help people like me quit smoking\u2014people in their 40s. Maybe nothing really bad has happened to them yet,\u201d says James. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re lucky, but you\u2019re probably not going to stay lucky.\u201d
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