Well, I am the Health Secretary! Minister gives up cigs after 42 years
AS Health Secretary she spends much of her time telling us how to live our lives.
Now it seems Jeane Freeman is ready to practise what she preaches as she reveals she has finally kicked a 42-year smoking habit.
The 64-year-old has pledged she will lead by example when encouraging Scots to give up bad habits, or watching their weight.
Miss Freeman has also revealed she is set to take up yoga after downloading an app on her mobile phone. She said: ‘I am 64 and I have every intention of living as long as I can.’
Despite initially struggling with her decision to quit, the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon MSP switched to nicotine patches, which helped her ditch the habit.
Miss Freeman said: ‘I was one of those smokers who moved to the low tar. You go through all the steps that show you recognise it as something you should not be doing, but you are trying very hard to kid yourself if you move to low tar it is not as bad as before.
‘I used to convince myself the only way I could really concentrate on something and write something Deputy Scottish Political Editor was if I had a cigarette. I don’t think any of my speeches have been worse since November because I haven’t had a cigarette in my hand as I wrote them.’
However, Miss Freeman said she had not tried to encourage her partner, Susan Stewart, to stop.
She added: ‘I can be quite thrawn, so when more people told me not to smoke, it didn’t work – so I am not going to nag her in that way.’
Miss Freeman has admitted she is keen to improve her fitness too.
She said: ‘I am not sporty, never have been. I walk, but not as much as I should do. I have downloaded a yoga app, so now this is going to be in the public domain I’d better start using it.’
Miss Freeman also suggested that there could be an overhaul of the current waiting time target system – as she plans to meet senior consultants, nurses and ambulance staff.
She said it was ‘not acceptable’ for patients to be waiting longer for treatment than before the targets were set.