Popular media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has spoken candidly about his past struggle with smoking addiction and the journey that eventually led him to quit. Ebuka made the revelation during a recent episode of the ‘MENtality’ podcast, where he appeared alongside singer Banky W and social media influencer Aproko Doctor.
Recounting his experience, the television host disclosed that he began smoking while in junior secondary school and remained addicted for over a decade.
“I started smoking JSS3. I smoked for 13 years. By the time I entered university, I was smoking two packs a day. I was a heavy smoker,” he recalled.
According to Ebuka, he was eventually able to overcome the addiction after consciously making efforts to quit and regain control of his lifestyle.
During the discussion, Banky W also shared his personal battle with pornography addiction, explaining that he turned to it while attempting to overcome promiscuity.
The singer said he initially believed pornography would help him avoid moving from one relationship to another.
“I was trying to battle pornography and decided that instead of moving from woman to woman, I should just be watching pornography,” he said.
Reacting to the conversation, Ebuka noted that many people often make the mistake of replacing one harmful addiction with another in an attempt to escape previous habits.
On his part, Aproko Doctor attributed many destructive addictions to people’s desire to escape emotional pain and seek temporary pleasure.
“Human beings have two ambitions. The first is to avoid pain. The second is to chase pleasure. A lot of drug use comes because a lot of people are trying to avoid pain,” he stated.
The trio stressed the importance of self-awareness, discipline and emotional regulation as key steps toward overcoming addiction and building healthier lifestyles.