I now believe this. I'm disappointed that the group that continues to smoke are those in the health industry - nurses in particular.

I am a retired nurse, and I smoked for a fairly short period. About 9 years I think, and I have not had a cigarette for 33 years. And guess what? I was shocked to learn that my chest xray revealed that I have damaged lungs - believed to be as a result of smoking all that time ago.

I am pretty healthy - not 100% - but pretty good for someone of my vintage.

My number one regret? That I followed the example of my parents all those years ago and took up dragging on the dreaded weed. I've never done drugs - but certainly was a great user of packaged cigarettes.

I look around me now and see young women still smoking. Sorry, girls, it looks "tacky" at best. By and large I see the lower socio-economic group still smoking. Many of whom you'd think would have better things to do with the money the waste on cigarettes.

Our advertisements for health now show customers purchasing cigarettes and being asked "Which ones do you want - Cancer or Emphysaema?"

It's true. Smoking kills.