Roosevelt never thought that at 45-years-old he would have a heart attack due to his smoking. In this TV ad, from CDC’s “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign, he talks about the impact his smoking-related heart attack has had on his life. 

MORE ABOUT ROOSEVELT 

Like many people who smoke, Roosevelt started experimenting with cigarettes in his teens. But his addiction became entrenched during his time in the military. Nearly 30 years later, damage from smoking began to take its toll.

At age 45, Roosevelt experienced a heart attack that landed him in the hospital for a month. In order to repair the damage to his heart caused by smoking, doctors inserted stents into his heart. When that wasn’t enough, he had bypass surgery — six bypasses in all. Now age 51, Roosevelt has been smoke free for 3 years, but he’s had to give up his career as a commercial plumber because his heart is no longer strong enough for the strenuous activity such work requires.

Biography