Ebuka Opens Up on 13-Year Smoking Addiction, Says He Started in JSS3

Media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has shared details of his long battle with smoking, revealing that he started the habit as a teenager and struggled with it for 13 years before finally quitting.

Speaking on a recent episode of the MENtality podcast alongside singer Banky W and health influencer Aproko Doctor, Ebuka disclosed that he began smoking in Junior Secondary School 3.

According to him, the addiction became more severe during his university years, when he smoked as many as two packs of cigarettes daily.

“But I started smoking in JSS 3, and I smoked for 13 years. In university, I was doing about two packs a day,” he said.

Ebuka explained that he was eventually able to quit through conscious and deliberate efforts aimed at breaking the addiction.

During the discussion, Banky W also opened up about his personal struggles, revealing that he once developed a pornography addiction while attempting to stop being promiscuous. He said he initially believed pornography was a safer alternative to engaging with multiple women but later realised he had simply exchanged one harmful habit for another.

Reacting to the revelation, Ebuka noted that many people unknowingly replace one addiction with another while trying to escape destructive behaviors.

Aproko Doctor, however, provided further insight into the psychology behind addiction, explaining that many unhealthy habits are rooted in attempts to cope with pain or emotional discomfort.

According to him, human behavior is often driven by the desire to avoid pain and seek pleasure, making addictions a common coping mechanism for unresolved struggles.

The trio emphasised the importance of self-awareness and self-regulation in identifying harmful habits and overcoming addiction.