From 20-40 Cigarettes A Day To Zero: Ex-Roadies Judge Raghu Ram Marks 10 Years Of No Smoking

Smoking Kills

Irrespective of any film or series you watch on television, the statutory warning appears on the screen. Despite smoking being fatal, smokers often find it difficult to quit because of nicotine addiction. However, actor and television host Raghu Ram did it 10 years ago and never looked back.

Taking to Instagram, he shared that June marks 10 years since he last took a puff of a cigarette. And he was a chain smoker, puffing on 1-2 packs a day. Here is what he shared in the video:

"Iss mahine cigarette chhodkar mujhe pure 10 saal ho gaye hain. Or main aisa waise smoker nhi tha. Main peeta tha din mein 1-2 packets daily. Yani 20-40 cigarettes roz. Par maine bahut koshish ki chhodne ki, lekin addiction hoti hai, chor nhin pate hain log. Main bhi nhin chor paya tha [This month marks 10 years since I quit smoking. I was not a casual smoker. I used to smoke 1-2 packets every day, which translates to 20-40 cigarettes a day. I tried a lot to quit, but it's addictive. People can't quit, and I was also unable to do it]."

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A post shared by Raghu Ram (@instaraghu)

"Aisa chora ki wapas ek bhi kash nahin mara. 10 saal ho gaye hain mereko [I left it and never puffed on a cigarette. It has been 10 years].

How Raghu Ram Quit Smoking

In 2023, Raghu Ram shared his story on his podcast, Mencyclopedia, titled, How I Won the Longest Battle with My Addiction. "I smoked 20-40 cigarettes every day for 15 years, and then I just stopped. Cold turkey. And I had not taken a puff of a cigarette in 7 years," he said.

Sharing why he first started smoking, he confessed that he wanted to fit in, to be seen, and to feel cool. When he joined the workforce as a 20-year-old, he was a trainee and in awe of people doing pioneering work in the industry. "I used to feel left out," he added.

He started smoking and soon became addicted. For smokers, there are triggers. The television host shared that after a meal, coffee, alcohol, or intimacy, he used to get the urge to smoke. When people try to quit, the withdrawal symptoms are often too harsh to fight.

Raghu tried to quit smoking a few times, but every time, he relapsed until he met Natalie Di Luccio. He married the Canadian singer in 2018, but it was his first date with her that inspired him to quit smoking.

Narrating the date, he said that he went to pick her up and, as he leaned in to kiss her in the car, she recoiled. It was jarring for him because he had smoked 30 minutes before picking her up at his apartment.

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A post shared by Raghu Ram (@instaraghu)

"It wasn't on my breath, but it was strong enough to have such an effect on her. It was completely unexpected and distressing," he added.

She told him that as a singer, she never smoked or dated a smoker. Raghu thought that if he had to explore the possibility of a relationship with Natalie, he had to quit smoking. This time, he did not tell anyone until he marked 30 days without a cigarette.

Raghu Ram shared a 7-step guide to quitting smoking:

• Decide on a date to quit, and announce it to everyone
• Overdo it a day or two before that date so that you feel disgusted by it
• Make a list of all your triggers in the order of severity
• Avoid situations that trigger you in the initial phase, when you are struggling with the withdrawal symptoms
• Once you have two weeks under your belt, you can put yourself in the triggering situations, from the least severe to the most severe
• Start exercising because it will make a lot of difference
• Share your progress with your friends because their support will motivate you and prevent you from relapsing

For everyone who has ever quit smoking, the reasons might look different, but they all have two things in common: first, an addiction they are battling, and second, withdrawal symptoms to overcome. You may not be able to follow Raghu Ram's 7-step guide exactly, but his story is inspiring enough to encourage people to try quitting smoking.

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