‘I Was a Heavy Smoker’ – Ebuka Confesses to 40-Cigarette-a-Day 13-Year Habit

By David Adebayo

Media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has opened up about his past battle with nicotine addiction, revealing that he smoked up to 40 cigarettes daily for 13 years after picking up the habit as a teenager.

Ebuka made the revelation on the latest episode of his podcast, Mentality with Ebuka, monitored by Persecondnews which featured singer and pastor Banky W alongside health content creator Aproko Doctor.

Reflecting on how the addiction started, Ebuka disclosed that he began smoking while in JSS3 due to peer pressure and a desire to fit in among friends.

“I started smoking in JSS3, which is crazy young. It was basically peer pressure, wanting to prove myself, wanting to belong,” he said.

According to him, the habit worsened during his university years, where he consumed nearly two packs of cigarettes daily.

“By the time I got into university, I was doing about two packs a day. That’s about 40 sticks of cigarettes every single day,” he revealed.

Ebuka said he eventually stopped smoking in February 2008, explaining that his recovery came gradually rather than through a sudden decision to quit.

“The last stick of cigarette I had was in February 2008. I didn’t quit. I just kept saying let me see how much longer I will hold out for, and now it’s been almost 18 years,” he added.

During the same conversation, Banky W revisited his own past struggle with pornography addiction, describing how exposure to explicit content during his university days in New York drew him into a habit he later found difficult to break.

The experience forced him to confront the emotional and psychological grip addiction can have on individuals, despite repeated efforts to stop, the singer said.