Jump to full article: Dallas Morning News, 2010-03-13
Author: TERRY MAXON / The Dallas Morning News
Intro: Kelleher has smoked almost his entire adult life. In fact, when he ran Southwest Airlines for 30 years, it was hard to see him without a cigarette. Waving one around always, sometimes with multiple cigarettes burning in different ashtrays around his office, Kelleher was never far from a puff.
He smoked in elevators, in front of no-smoking signs. He smoked in his office, in his car, in restaurants - if he was awake, he usually had a cigarette going. . . .
The Dallas Morning News talked to Kelleher this week about his decision to give up his signature smokes. Here are some excerpts
We've heard you've quit smoking. Is that true?
It's true and it's untrue. It depends on the locus with respect to time. I did quit smoking completely, and I have backslid.
Did you fall completely off the wagon?
Yes, completely. [While off cigarettes,] I also gained 33 pounds.
. . .
What convinced you to give up smoking last year?
I was told that I was losing a lot of lung capacity. Since I spend a lot of my time in the mountains, at heights as high as 7,200, 7,500 feet and many times at 4,000, 5,000 or 6,000, I wanted to be able to continue to do that. I was trying to save my breath, you might say.
Did it help improve your lung capacity?
It did. I have to confess, it did.
Have you lost some of the lung capacity since you resumed smoking?
I'm not sure. I'm not smoking nearly as much as I did. It's way back from where I was. But of course, I was way up there. I think I'll probably have a test in a week or so to see what's happening from a capacity standpoint.
How many packs were you smoking?
I was down to about three when I stopped.
And now?
Oh, I'm up to about one.
We understood you took Chantix?
I did. I took a drug to rid myself of a drug. That worked out great. That's what got me off completely.
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