Mitchell's Interview

I basically started smoking, you know, from that. I just wanted to fit in with my friends, which I did, and, you know, one thing led to the other and I became addicted. You know, I couldn't go a day without smoking and it really affected all my other activities. You know, as a little kid I was into sports, playing football. I couldn't do it anymore. You know, I had all these breathing problems. I actually quit twice. The first time I quit was in boot camp in which case I was forced to quit. I went cold turkey for about 8 weeks, but as soon as I got out, relapsed. I started smoking again up to two packs again. But I was a corpsman in the Navy and it's kind of like the medical department. And I felt like I had to uphold a high level, like, you know, practice what I preach. So I had my shipmates and Marines looking up to me, and here I am this figure of good health. And I decided I had to quit and so I started, you know, exercising more, taking my mind off of smoking. I totally stayed away from all the people that I used to hang out with who smoked. That helped a lot because the minute I got around them I kind of got that urge to creep back in there, but I didn’t. Everyone's pretty much, you know, proud of me. You know, my brother and my sister, they now look at me and see someone who doesn't smoke or who doesn't use tobacco. And that makes me feel even great, you know, because both of my parents smoked. Shoot, them, too, they’re proud of me as well because they couldn't stop. And, you know, I feel proud of myself, but more importantly I feel proud that I can, you know, be a great example for my brother and sister. You know?