Smoker anonymous

Not quite. This is Linda (not her real name).
She gave birth at 3.30pm. She is managing her first cigarette at 7.30pm. This is her outside the Rotunda Maternity hospital, plugged to her glucose I.V. and her Player Blue.
The longest she has managed without daytime nicotine in a looooong while.

I don't think the baby has a name yet, I was afraid to ask.

I did ask if I could take her photograph. And we talked about cigarettes and how incredibly addictive they are. I told her that I smoked between the age of 11 and 30 and that giving them up was the hardest thing I ever did. I explained to her that I had an epiphany one day in December, that I actually realised as I was lighting my cigarette that I was dying, that this smoking thing was killing me, that I really was dying. It didn't make the quitting part any easier, but the decision was.

I did not pass any judgement as I was chatting to her. I am now though, as I am posting this blip. It is not fair to her. It portrays her as a loser. She is not a loser. She is me 8 years ago. I am her eight years ago. It is not easy to be a quitter.