Keith Richards is "drying out" and has cut back on drinking

He said: "By January 1, you're knackered. And that's a good way to start a new year, right?! I'm drying out now!"

"I've knocked the hard stuff on the head. I have a little wine with meals, and a Guinness or a beer or two, but otherwise... no. It's like heroin - the experiment is over.

"Mind you, if I meet you in a bar and you say, 'Do you want a drink?' - heheheh - I wouldn't turn it down! I'm not a puritan in these matters. It's just that it's not on the daily menu anymore."

The 'Sympathy for the Devil' hitmaker is also trying to quit smoking because it's a "useless habit" and is finding it harder to kick cigarettes than he did heroin.

Speaking to the new issue of MOJO magazine, which he has guest edited, he said: "I have tried [to stop smoking]. So far, unsuccessfully! Lou Reed claimed nicotine was harder to quit than heroin.

"It is. Quitting heroin is like hell, but it's a short hell. I mean, the actual process.

"Cigarettes are just always there, and you've always done it. I just pick 'em up and light 'em up without thinking about it.

"But lately, in fact - spread the news! - I've managed to cut it down by a substantial amount every day, and I'm still working on it.

"Because I realised I don't need it. I realised it's just a useless habit. But hey, when you're 75, habits are pretty ingrained."

Keith isn't a big fan of exercise and thinks running in particular is "bad" for people.

Asked about his fitness regime, he said: "I get up. Ummm. And then, uh, you know, I sit down. I don't do none of this trotting around, I think it's bad for you. It's bad on the joints, especially on concrete. I don't go with that. It's just not for me.

"It works for some guys, but y'know, it's just... Mmm. Oh, and when I go to the islands, I do quite a bit of swimming.

"It's not a regime, it's just very nice to be in the water, and, uhh, you know... float about a bit."