"But when I don't smoke I scarcely feel as if I'm living. I don't feel as if I'm living unless I'm killing myself." The famous American writer Russell Hoban once said this.

Mr Hoban was quite a talent so let's assume that he appreciated the gravity of his words. The facts speak for themselves, simply established in one quote on the box of most cigarette packets – 'Smoking Kills'.

So how does one say 'No' to this object of fatal attraction?

"It's one of the most difficult things I've done in my life. For someone like me, who has smoked cigarettes for decades now, suddenly stopping is like cutting the daily supply of oxygen to my lungs," says Pritam, the music composer who is well known for some brilliant works.

Pritam used to smoke close to two and a half packs of cigarettes a day. Now you do the math! However he has successfully managed to give up smoking over the course of the past year.

"Putting aside the fact that smoking was bound to kill me at some point, the effect it had on my family and the people living around me was detrimental. Especially my two kids. I'll be the first to admit that smoking in front of kids doesn't set the best example. So I motivated myself to quit. And well one year on, I have to say it feels good," continues Pritam.

Well we can go on to reveal that what helped Pritam the most during his endeavor to quit smoking was a book called 'Stop Smoking' by Collin Gems. The book is critically acclaimed and undoubtedly left a mark on Pritam.

"Besides being a great read, it helped me find out a lot about myself. Smoking besides being habitual is a way of expressing a variety of emotion, predominantly negative emotion. We all know the negative effects of smoking but we tend to turn a deaf ear to it. However it is necessary to understand the human desire to smoke. It is important to get over that with a clear head and strong beliefs. Cigarettes are just a medium. Once you understand yourself, quitting is much easier. You will always be tempted and you need to be strong willed. But it isn't impossible. I assure you that," says Pritam.

Strong words from a man who has chosen to lead by example. A lot of celebrities have recently quit smoking which undoubtedly sends the right message out. You can hear it loud and clear. So the next time you decide to light up, do think again.