AFTER 10 years of happily puffing away, I have decided the time has finally come for me to smoke my last cigarette writes Health Reporter Jane Lavender

Bad breath, no money and finally struggling with exercise are the factors that have spurred me on to make the life-changing decision.

I was just 15 when I smoked my first cigarette. Until then, I'd been determined not to take up the habit after watching my parents struggle to quit - ironically because of my constant whinging aged five for them to give up.

But all of my friends were sneaking off for a smoke at school and you were no-one unless you had a pack of ten Regal Kingsize about your person at weekends.

Less than a year later, I was hooked and smoking 10-a-day, convinced - even though it was costing me my entire Saturday job wages - that I looked sophisticated and wasn't really addicted.

In those days 10 cigarettes cost less than a pound, but as the years rolled by and the cost continued to spiral, I refused to give up my dangerous habit.

Even when I was a student and surviving on value baked beans and toast, I always made sure I had enough for 20 Marlboro Lights.

My first attempt to quit came when I started work aged 21 - it lasted four days and I was in fear of losing my job due to my grumpy moods and constant fidgeting.

My second was when I turned 25. I was determined I wasn't going to have been a smoker for more than 10 years.

This time, I fared much better and managed to stay fag-free for two whole months.

It was a fateful holiday to France, with boundless duty free opportunities, that tempted me back to the dark side.

Even though I told myself I would only smoke while I was sunning myself, I continued to puff away when I returned home.

But this time, I'm determined it's different.

After working out I spent a grand total of £1,825 on my habit last year alone - which is enough to pay for a luxury holiday for two to Barbados - and starting to struggle to keep up with the non-smokers on my football team, I know I must have the will power to succeed.

l Follow Jane's progress in her diary every Tuesday.