It may sound cliched, but Wayne Nelthropp’s effort to quit smoking just reinforces the age–old saying: Where there is a will, there is a way.

No contemplation, no pre–plan, only will–power. It was three days after his 37th birthday when he succeeded in doing something which even rehabilitation centres fail to do at times.

“One morning, I just thought of staying away from my cigarette for an hour. At the end of it, I told myself to control the urge for another hour. This continued hour after hour, and finally, I managed without a cigarette for the entire day. That was when I decided to quit smoking,” says Wayne.

For Wayne Nelthropp (40), a software engineer, smoking is in the genes. His father was a smoker too. He took up the habit as soon as he was out of the school. Added to the familiarity was the curiosity of a teenager to try something that only adults do. And not to forget the pressure from friends, who were equally inquisitive to take the plunge. In short, it was impossible for Wayne to resist the urge.

Continuing the tale of his success, Wayne says, “walking up to the nearby paan shop and buying my own cigarette was thrilling. And with a few friends adding to the frilliness of the moment, it was even more fun. It gave us a feeling of being a grown–up. The thought of addiction or ill–effects of smoking never occurred to me then.”

“When I began it was only three or four cigarettes a day. The habit then matured to eight to ten a day. Finally, it reached as high as 25 sticks every day. And as everybody knows, smoking and drinking go hand in hand. I began boozing too. Though I did not become an addict to alcohol, to sit with a group of friends over alcohol with cigarette as our companion would seem to be a blissful experience,” he said.

Not that he never thought of quitting cigarettes. Twice he had made effort, but gave up to the craving every time. “Maybe my will power was not strong enough on the previous occasions. Finally, it was 15 years after becoming an addict that I managed to win it over,” he concludes with pride. SA


Source: Times of India