Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the National Addictions Awareness Week starting today, and further to my message in the news pullout, I would like to make a personal statement about the harmful effects of tobacco addiction which I believe is a most preventable addiction. I was hoping to make this a simple but meaningful statement for the benefit of the children of Range Lake and like magic this group of children appeared in our gallery today. So hopefully I can say something to them as well.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to state for the record that I consider myself a reformed smoker and, Mr. Speaker, I must say how horrible it was for my mother when she first saw from a distance her daughter doing this terrible thing. Like many others who picked up this habit, I thought it was not really anything serious. It was something that all my friends at school did in the bathroom and I thought I would get over it. It was years before I realized that I was addicted to this drug and it has been a struggle every day to fight this addiction. So far, I am successful.
Mr. Speaker, I must say that we are all aware of the cost of tobacco addiction. I know that when I do not smoke, money stays in my pocket. It seems that whenever I smoke, I have to go to the bank machine twice a week.
Mr. Speaker, we know that it causes bad smells, it causes premature aging, it is bad for our heart, lungs, mouth, gums, and teeth. It causes bronchitis and asthma. I think the most important message that I want to give to the young people is really how hard it is to kick this habit once it is picked up.
Mr. Speaker, I consider myself a very disciplined person. I have always been able to set a goal for myself and work really hard to achieve it. When I wanted to learn English, it was no big deal for me to write a statement a thousand times on a page until I learned a word. It is not difficult for me to sit for eight hours and go through a text book and memorize it, but I have never done anything harder than quit smoking. So I make a public declaration and hopefully that will be an incentive for me to keep off tobacco for the rest of my life.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.