By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Popular Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has opened up about a brief cigarette habit she developed while in university, revealing that she eventually quit after it began affecting her voice and forced her to hide the habit in public.
In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, the “Johnny” singer explained that what started as teenage experimentation with smoking quickly turned into a nightly routine before bedtime.
Alade said the discomfort of having to conceal cigarettes while in public contributed significantly to her decision to quit. She also highlighted the negative impact smoking had on her vocal health, which is crucial for her career.
“Some people say I don’t smoke, I don’t this, I don’t that. When I was in the university I tried smoking. I did not work out. But before it did not work out, it worked out a bit too much. I started needing to smoke before I go to bed. I was getting addicted to that lifestyle. But also, in public, I would hide the cigarette.
“So, I was like, ‘What’s this life; the discomfort that I can’t go to bed without smoking and then when I go out, I am going to hide the cigarette? As a teenager in the university trying to figure out life, I also made certain decisions for myself that if I’m going to hide to do something, I will not do it. Because I like to be aware of my environment and my decisions. And I just said I don’t think cigarettes are for me.
“They are not for me. And they harmed me, they affected my voice anyways. So I stopped. Smoking for me did not last up to a year,” she said.