‘Hurricane’ urges smokers to take his cue

SNOOKER legend Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins yesterday backed the smoking ban in pubs, but warned the “fresh air culture” could lead to obesity problems.

“After my experience of smoking, I would suggest that nobody touch them. Now, I’m very anti-smoking,” said the former world champion.

He blamed cigarettes for his mouth and throat cancer.

Higgins, 54, said people would eventually get used to the ban in pubs. However, he said that when that culture grew, it would expand people’s appetites and feeding hunger with fast food would bring about its own set of problems.

Higgins said tobacco manufacturers loaded cigarettes with chemicals so that people could chain- smoke 20 and 30 cigarettes.

After 43 doses of radiation to cure his throat and mouth cancer, he said he had lost his teeth and so could not enjoy fish meals and a nice glass of wine.

The Belfast-born sportsman was in Killarney for his first competitive match in about five years, against an amateur player, Ollie Cunningham, during the Liam O’Connor Memorial Pro-Am in the Gleneagle Hotel.

To relax before taking up his cue, he sipped a pint of Guinness, but admitted to being as nervous as a 17-year-old and suffering from stage fright.

Higgins joked that he had picked out two horses to steady his nerves.

“One at 3.30 when I go on and another at 4.15 when I’m beaten, or something,” he laughed.

He joined other professional snooker stars at the tournament, including Ken Doherty, Jimmy White and Tony Drago, who will take on the amateurs during the three-day event which began yesterday.