DEVOTED dad Adam Clay is up for a prize after quitting nicotine for the love of his children.

The 25-year-old from Hamworthy gave up the 20-plus a-day habit he had for 11 years in September last year so Cameron, four, and Dominic, one, would kiss him again.

He said: "Cameron used to pull away from me when I tried to kiss him. Some people talk about the money you save but it's lives you are saving.

"You'd be amazed at what damage you do to yourself and others. I used to wake up with shortness of breath. I don't have that any more. And the boys are much more willing to cuddle their dad."

He started smoking seriously at the age of 13 after his father had a serious accident and his parents split up.

His partner Abigail, 23, gave up when she was pregnant with Cameron and tried to get Adam - who works for South West Trains, checking the safety of carriages - to quit the cigs.

But it was not until Dominic's health care worker Linda Barrass also got on his case that he went to Smoke Stop at Hamworthy Clinic.

He said: "I always thought 'I'll give up next year'. I went to the clinic but I didn't think I would do it. I just thought 'It'll make them happy'.

"Then I heard all these facts about smoking - about passive smoking, and things like there are over 400 chemicals in a cigarette."

He quit after two weeks using Zyban - a pill which reduces the desire for a cigarette.

Now Adam has beaten 700 other ex-smokers to be one of eight semi-finalists of a Nicotenell and The Sun newspaper-run competition, Quitter of the Year. He and the others will go up to London for a presentation on October 5.

He said: "It would be fantastic to win, but that would be just a bonus. The real prize was giving up smoking."

First published: September 11