Filmmaker David Lynch has opened up about his smoking habit.

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, David talked about the impact of his decades-long smoking habit.

He said he started smoking at age 8 and continued smoking for almost 70 years before quitting at age 76.

“In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it is healthy, so you are literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance and got bitten,” he said.

In 2020, he was diagnosed with emphysema, requiring supplemental oxygen for physical activity.

“I saw the writing on the wall and it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop.’ I could barely move without gasping for air. Stopping was my only choice,” David said.

The filmmaker, famous for his works like Twin peaks And Mulholland Drive, added of his condition: “It’s hard living with emphysema. I can barely walk across a room. It’s like walking around with a plastic bag around your head.”

“I really wanted to convey this: think about it. You can stop doing these things that will eventually kill you. I owe it to them – and to myself – to say that,” he added, hoping to inspire smokers to quit before it’s too late.