On the eve of World Tobacco Day, Rock On actor and model has recently opened up about his smoking addiction and his journey towards quitting it.
Talking about his addiction, he revealed, that he was around 15–16 years old when he started smoking.
“I was around 15-16 years old. We always know that smoking is bad, and we have already heard some terrible stories, so we know we are doing something that is not good. Smoking looked attractive at that time, as this macho thing. But I started it just to feel cool.” said shared Purab Kohli.
Later, recounting his journey to quit the harmful habit, he stated, that it was in his late 20s when the actor decided to leave this habit.
While narrating his journey, he talked about the time, when work pressures transformed him into a heavy smoker.
Then came a point, when he decided to quit smoking thinking “I have smoked for 10-12 years, can I not smoke for one year?”
To stay motivated and maintain focus on his goal, he adopted a strategy of marking dates and shared, how his sheer willpower enabled him to combat his addiction persistently.
“I even marked the date. I kept myself motivated through that as well. And I am quite commented, when I make a decision, I stick to it.” said Purab Kohli.
However, for Kohli, the journey to quit smoking wasn’t easy at all. Narrating his difficulty, purab kohli reminisced and said,
“I did stop smoking, but it was very hard. I bought one cigarette and I used to keep that in my hand and never light it. I used to hold it in my hand and puff away on it without lighting it and slowly the feeling of wanting it went away. Even the shops that I used to buy it from, whenever I crossed them, I used to feel like smoking. I started realizing how strong of an addiction I had to tobacco.”
In order to deal with smoking craving, he used to eat carrots and cucumbers. ”I remember eating carrots and cucumbers for crunchy munching so that I don’t crave a lot”.
Despite suffering from immediate physical harmful effects of quitting smoking including indigestion, he still stuck to his decision to quit.
Eventually, he succeeded on his goal.
Adding further intriguing details about his journey, he divulged, that upon relapsing after a prolonged period, smoking now repulsed him.
“When you don’t smoke for a long while, you realise how disgusting it tastes. It felt horrible.” said kohli while remembering his journey of giving up smoking completely.
While highlighting the advantages of a smoke-free lifestyle, Purab Kohli emphasized that during the initial 6-7 months, one may experience bouts of drowsiness, sleepiness, and even weight gain. But once you get over it, then the journey becomes a little easier. “Once you get over the initial 6-7 months, it gets better.”
Ending on a positive note, Kohli shared how he feels since he has quit smoking.
“It helped me create good habits. My skin looks better now, and my mind is so rested. The deep and fulfilling breaths, wow! I feel so happy that I don’t feel that craving anymore, it has been more than 13-14 years since I last smoked.” concludes kohli.