David weeds out addiction to pack away quitter award

THE New Year has begun like a breath of fresh air for David Bathe, after he was yesterday named overall winner of the 2002 Nicorette Quit Award.

The annual prize is awarded to the most inspiring person to have given up smoking in the past year.

David, 46, an unemployed IT worker from Templeogue in Dublin was judged the most deserving quitter after overcoming recent ill health and redundancy to kick the weed. For the past 30 years, the father of three had smoked an average of 40 cigarettes every day.