Keith Richards says heroin is easier to kick than cigarettes
The Rolling Stone has also revealed he has cut back on alcohol
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Your support makes all the difference.Keith Richards has said cigarettes are harder to quit than heroin.
The 75-year-old Rolling Stones guitarist was a notorious drug user during the height of the group’s fame.
Following an indulgent December celebrating his 75th birthday and 35th wedding anniversary, Richards has decided to cut back on alcohol, now only drinking wine, Guinness, and the occasional beer.
Speaking to Mojo, he said: “I’ve knocked the hard stuff on the head. I have a little wine with meals, and a Guinness or a beer or two, but otherwise no. It’s like heroin – the experiment is over.
“Mind you, if I meet you in a bar and you say, ‘Do you want a drink?’ I wouldn’t turn it down.
“I’m not a puritan in these matters. It’s just that it’s not on the daily menu any more.”
Richards has said that he refuses to exercise, only going as far as standing up and sitting down, and “floating about” in the sea. He has said running is unhealthy as it is bad for the joints.
The star, who formed The Rolling Stones in the early 1960s, has revealed he is trying to be more health conscious by tackling his smoking habit.
He said : “Lou Reed claimed nicotine was harder to quit than heroin. It is. Quitting heroin is like hell, but it’s a short hell. I mean, the actual process.
“Cigarettes are just always there, and you’ve always done it. I just pick them up and light them up without thinking about it.
“I’ve managed to cut it down by a substantial amount every day, and I’m still working on it. Because I realised I don’t need it. I realised it’s just a useless habit. But hey, when you’re 75, habits are pretty ingrained.”
Richards is back in the studio with The Rolling Stones, and expects the band’s new album to be released this year.
Additional reporting by agencies.
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