Filmmaker and lifelong smoker David Lynch has spoken out about the dangers of the habit, revealing that he started smoking at the age of eight and now even needs supplemental oxygen to walk short distances.

In August, the Twin Peaks director revealed that he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath. In a brief statement about

Now the 78-year-old is urging others to quit – and offering himself a cautionary tale. In an interview with People magazine on Thursday, Lynch revealed the extent of his emphysema, saying he requires supplemental oxygen for most activities: “I can barely walk across a room. It’s like walking around with a plastic bag around your head.”

Lynch told People that smoking was “a huge part of my life… it was part of being a painter and a filmmaker for me.”

Even as smoking became part of his public image, captured in portraits and candid press photos, his love affair with tobacco played out on screen, with characters from Twin Peaks and films like Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive regularly lighting up.

Lynch said he had tried to quit “many, many times” over the years. “But when the going got tough, I had that first cigarette, and it was a one-way ticket to heaven. Then you’re smoking again.”

Even after being diagnosed with emphysema in 2020, he couldn’t kick the habit for another two years. “I saw a writing on the wall and it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop,’” Lynch told People. “I could barely move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice.”

These days, Lynch is mostly homebound, wary of contracting infections that could worsen his illness. It has made working on set impossible, although he has said he is open to directing remotely in the future. His last feature film was 2006’s Inland Empire, and his last major film project was the 2017 reboot of Twin Peaks, although he has continued to make webisodes, short films and music videos, most recently as part of his collaboration with American singer Chrystabell.

He has taken on occasional acting roles, including a cameo as cigar-chomping director John Ford in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 Oscar winner The Fabelmans.

While he admits the price he paid for smoking is high, Lynch told People he had no “regrets” but wanted others to learn from his experience: “I really wanted to get this across: think about it about after. You can stop doing these things that will eventually kill you.