My first cigarette...

I remember it so clearly. I was nine. I had just finished my soccer practice and was hanging around the deserted school waiting for my older brother to finish his.

An older, cooler boy, Michael Weeks, was waiting for his brother too. He saw me kicking a ball against the wall and called me over to him. As we sat and chatted, he offered me a cigarette and I took it. It was the worst mistake I ever made and one that would largely define the next 25 years of my life.

I wish, at that moment, I could have stopped the tape and seen into the future: the pain, suffering and despair this drug would cause; the wasted time and money; the damage to the relationships with my family and the years of mental and physical slavery. I would have said NO and kicked Mike in the teeth.

But I didn't. I took that first cigarette. Before long, I was smoking every day and by the time I left High School I was smoking nearly a pack-a-day, despite never genuinely 'enjoying' it.

In all, I smoked for just over 25 years. I was a good sportsman at school, but I quit playing the sports I loved because as a smoker I couldn't handle the physical demands of training. It's one of my biggest regrets. I know I can never get those years back, but what I can do is to try to ensure that other young kids don't make the same mistake I did, which is why I share Allen's passion for prevention.

If you want to help your children to avoid the smoking trap, then read Allen's book "Smoking Sucks!"