KEY POINTS:
Peter Harford lasted a whole month without cigarettes - and won a bet with employee Craig Forsman, who now has to run naked down Tauranga's Cameron Rd.
But exactly when or how exposed he'll be are in question.
Harford quit his 40-a-day habit after a bet with employee Craig Forsman, that if he went for a month without a smoke, Forsman would run down Cameron Rd naked.
Yesterday marked the end of one smokefree month - but Forsman's run was not expected to happen until the week after next.
Harford, owner of Pete's Takeaways, said the run was to happen around 6.30am, most likely on a Wednesday or Thursday.
The exact location was yet to be decided but Harford has already received plenty of phone calls from people eager to be on the sidelines.
There was to be one change to the bet, following legal complications.
Forsman would no longer be starkers but would instead wear "a fancy little towel" and a Biggles hat.
Harford said it would only take one complaint about the streak for police to have to act on it - and with a young family, Forsman was not keen to face a charge of indecent exposure.
But Harford said it would still be a hoot - with a local radio station to interview Mr Forsman after his run.
As for Mr Harford, he said he was still struggling to be a non- smoker.
"The last 48 hours I have been hanging out for a cigarette," he said.
"I thought it might have been easier by now."
Thanks to encouragement from his friends, family and even a checkout operator, the owner of the septic tanks emptying and cleaning service has managed to resist temptation.
He took medication to make quitting easier but this week thought he might be all right without it for a day.
After a day of extreme grumpiness, he said he would not make that mistake again.
But he remained positive about his potentially life-saving decision, which has seen his glow and sense of taste return.
Forsman said his employer seemed to be feeling the benefits of quitting and was already looking better after one month, "if that's even possible," he said, with a laugh.
He was happy to run down Cameron Rd to motivate Harford, joking he was "just a puppet" in the bet.
"I think it was easier for him to give up with something else to focus on," he said.
- BOP TIMES
