I smoked because I enjoyed it.
Like many things, smoking is somewhat of an acquired taste - it takes a little work.
In the beginning I enjoyed the slight headrush and the nicotine well-being.
After that, there was a certain routine, parts of the day where a smoke just seemed to be a pleasing addendum to the time. Example - whilst enjoying a beer, or perhaps after a meal, or even sitting around the camp fire in the evening after a days hike.
I liked the taste (only specific brands of rolling tobacco, not that crap they put in normal fags) and the feeling of inhaling a deep lungful of smoke, puffing away for a bit, then letting my roll-up go out. Relighting it some time later etc etc.
Packets of cigarettes, once you've lit 'em, they burn very fast (so you smoke/buy more), rolling tobacco doesn't suffer from that, plus you get to make your own as you please.
I smoked 'other things' for a good many years too, for much the same reason I enjoy a nice brandy.
Gave up smoking a couple of years back, not sure exactly how long. I never really counted the months. I have the occasional smoke still. But that's perhaps one cigarette in six months. So far this year I've had one roll-up lol.
I still have tobacco in the house - in fact, there's a packet of drum on my computer table as I write this, but I don't feel any OMG! I GOTTA SMOKE IT! craving thing. It's there if I want it. But most of the time I just don't - it's not easy to explain.
In the end, I think smoking is as much about learned behaviour and association, as it is about any nicotine dependency.
Why did I stop? Mainly a change of circumstances. That and the fact that my last serious cold/flu thing went to my chest quite badly and I decided regular smoking was not going to improve that in future.
Do I still like tobacco? Sure I do, probably always will, too. But not everything we like is good for us.
As for arguments about taxation and legislation, they're far too convoluted and loaded with vested interests to make any real sense, so people ought to make decisions for themselves and not expect, or have to suffer government nannying.
IT'S NEVER GETTING CHANGED.
