Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to say I’ve been smoke-free of cigarettes since November 10, 2014. Before this time, I would wake up first thing in the morning and have a coffee and a cigarette, smoke up to about four packages of cigarettes a week, and experience exhaustion and fatigue. I could only smoke outside, and the smell of cigarettes clung to my clothes.
I thought of quitting smoking cigarettes for a long time. [English translation not provided.]
Like many of my peers, I started smoking as a teenager as it looked cool and helped me fit into the crowd. Tobacco use also extended to my parents and grandparents. Smoking or chewing is very common in my community.
Smoking causes cancer, and I found that out with the passing of my parents who both died of cancer. Lung cancer caused by smoking is usually fatal, and so is throat or oral cancers related to smoking.
I challenge other MLAs and leaders to quit smoking cigarettes.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
