Smoking is especially dangerous for people who are living with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS. Brian learned that lesson the hard way, when he had a stroke—a brain attack—at age 43. Over time, smoking and having HIV had led to clogged blood vessels in Brian's neck. In this video from CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Brian talks about surviving HIV-related medical problems. He regained good health—then nearly lost his life because of smoking. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/CommentPolicy.html This video can also be viewed at http://streaming.cdc.gov/vod.php?id=c103243507a5410aa75683aedab903b320140620100943117