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Hi, my name is Kent.
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I'm 43 of Malaysian Chinese heritage, and I run a restaurant in Sydney.
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I started smoking around the age of 21, mainly because smoking was common among my friends.
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At the time, I thought quitting would be simple whenever I chose to.
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I’ve tried various methods to quit, such as nicotine gum and patches, but it turned out to be much harder than I expected.
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By the time I was 28, I developed a persistent cough.
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It got so bad that it was disrupting my sleep, affecting my appetite, and it even caused vomiting.
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It has had a significant negative impact on my work, mood and life.
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I saw multiple doctors, but none of them could find the cause, which left me feeling deeply concerned (about my health).
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Eventually, one of the doctors suggested that I try quitting smoking.
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So, I quit (cold turkey).
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After a few weeks of being smoke-free, the cough disappeared completely.
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I felt my body gradually healed, my appetite improved, and I put on some healthy weight.
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Both my physical and mental health were much better.
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What made me happy was to see the positive changes in my life have also inspired some of my friends to try quitting.
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Several of them have managed to quit successfully, and it’s been wonderful to witness the positive changes in their lives.
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For anyone wanting to quit smoking, remember to be patient and take it one step at a time.
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Every moment you resist the urge to smoke is giving your body a chance to heal.
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There are also many tools and services available that can help you quit,such as Quitline, Quit app (My QuitBuddy) and Quit websites (Quit.org.au).
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Quitting isn’t easy, be patient with yourself.
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The encouragement of family and friends can also make a huge difference.