Why do people smoke?

[Uriel]

Some of my eariest memories (from just before I was 2) are playing with my Grandad. The next ones are sitting on his hospital bed rubbing his back and he died shortly afterwards. It was lung cancer that got aggressive and spread all over the place. My other Grandpa committed suicide when I was about 6 after being given a bad prognosis related to artery clogging in his legs, which was attributed to smoking.

As a result I've had a deep hatred of smoking. I find it about as appealing as eating somebody else's faeces in public.

Unfortunately a few of my friends either smoke or did at some point. Can't allow that to be a barrier to friendship really so I've stuck around them and passively sucked it in even though I found it disgusting. Quite glad of the smoking ban in pubs. Makes a night out with mates much more pleasant.

 

[Jarrod]

I think at first it's either because of boredom, curiosity or hipsterism (i used that word before it was cool) then addiction.

 

[panyan]

because people that smoke are cool

 

[glenimp617]

because people that smoke are cool

I know this wasn't meant as a serious comment, but actually it's true. Smoking does warm you up when in the cold

 

[Marmot]

Been smoke free for 14 months after smoking for 10 years. Pretty happy.

 

[QlimaxUK]

Because we need it to live? "The sodium component of salt is vital for controlling the amount of water in the body, maintaining the normal pH of blood, transmitting nerve signals and helping muscular contraction." - BBC Health

Actually you need around 1500mg of sodium per day in your diet, too much is bad but that can said of anything.

lol, joke detection fail

 

[Theophany]

I'm always outside with the smokers but I have NEVER in nearly 54 years put one in my mouth.

What about a cigarette?

 

[KnightStalker]

As for why, im not sure myself, pretty much my whole family smoked when i was younger and something that i picked up on, came to around 14-15 and tried it and it stuck, cant work it out actually, as ive been smoke free for around 5 months now (26 yr old) and the smell of it is quite off putting, but at the same time nice lol its odd.

 

[vicisthebest]

I've always hated smoking. My boyfriend used to when I first met him but he stopped about a year after we got together, has been smoke free for 2.5 years now. His parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles - pretty much everyone in his family are smokers and it was sort of natural for him to be one too (although his sister has always hated it).

I come from an almost exclusively non-smoking family (my stepmum smokes, that's it) so I found it really hard to take whenever I was at one of my boyfriend's relative's house - my eyes would be red and streaming, I'd be in the shower as soon as I got home because I couldn't stand the smell of it on me, awful.

I had to watch my granddad, my favourite person in the whole world, die of lung cancer. He'd given up smoking about 40 years before he died, but lung cancer still got him. I just dread to think that one day my boyfriend will have to watch one of his parents go through the same thing.

I can't understand the appeal of smoking and have never even tried one puff of one. I don't think my opinion of it will ever change.

Interestingly, in the school where I work, with a staff of around 45-50, there are only 2 smokers. I wonder why.

 

[Zefan]

Whenever I've smoked in the past it's because it feels awesome.

People who say "It doesn't even feel good" are doing it so, so wrong.

 

[Mr Blonde]

You don't care if you're cutting your life short by a considerable number of years?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco#Mortality

As already said, who knows if I am or not!? It's a possibility of course but not guaranteed. But as I said, I do not care one way or the other. We will all die at one point or another.

PS The link you posted might possibly put off one or two here who may have been toying with the idea of starting. I however understood the potential implications when I started 34 years a go.

 

[Elixir]

The two main ones are:

Addicted
Relaxing

The first one is simple enough, but the second one isn't. Everyone is born a non smoker (dont want to go off on a tangent regarding nicotine dependant newborns) so they don't know that smoking will relax them. Is this a correct assumption?

No. Nicotine is not just relaxing because it satisfies an addiction. As a drug it is both a stimulant and a relaxant, and it has these effects whether you're addicted or not - in fact the effects will be stronger if you are less used to the drug.

 

[pingwing]

Meh gave it a bash like all teenagers, wasn't cool enough for regular cigarettes but the special kind I had a few years into. Plenty of friends liked to get high then all ended up as smokers too.

The appeal comes from the security it brings, made a few friends who find security in them selves from belonging to the smoker group, but this has been a false security for some (best mate from uni has given up and she's having a tough time dealing with the general changes in her social group now most of us aren't living in ni any more).

I found smoking to be a cross between a security in that sense and an identity you can use to find commonality, like it's pretty easy to open a conversation in a smoking environment with a smoker or non smoker because it's fairly relaxed, when trying to do that on a dance floor is painful (breaking out the robot is the only solution). So for most people it is a way to experience people around the awkward nature of being people (as being people is awkward, hence the awesomeness of the internet).

Don't like it my self, living with smokers isn't nice (the smell is so stale and of death-ish) and being one is just inconvenient (even before the smoking bans) along with unhealthy (last time I gave getting high a bash the smoke part of it hurt my lungs and the other effects left my head a mess for weeks)

 

[cosmos55]

Brainwashed by all the tv and sports advertising through the 80's and 90's.

 

[jaybee]

It is all a bit pathetic really. In this day and age, seeing anyone smoking really makes me wonder why they haven't stopped already.

 

[JayMax]

Hmmm... it's not cool, and for a lot of smokers it is a chemical addiction, and for others it's a habitual addiction, or worse a lot are addicted to both - the most insidious 'habit' ever conceived.
I'm personally envious of anyone who can 'take it or leave it' or 'quit when I feel like it'.
What annoys me is the non-smokers who don't have any experience, knowledge, idea or concept of the addiction pontificating...
'ah just quit'? If it was that simple nobody over the age of 30 would smoke...
Anyhoo... pseudo-rant over

20 a day smoker here - due another quitting attempt asap

 

[jaybee]

Hmmm... it's not cool, and for a lot of smokers it is a chemical addiction, and for others it's a habitual addiction, or worse a lot are addicted to both - the most insidious 'habit' ever conceived.
I'm personally envious of anyone who can 'take it or leave it' or 'quit when I feel like it'.
What annoys me is the non-smokers who don't have any experience, knowledge, idea or concept of the addiction pontificating...
'ah just quit'? If it was that simple nobody over the age of 30 would smoke...
Anyhoo... pseudo-rant over

20 a day smoker here - due another quitting attempt asap

But people do just quit. I have seen people go cold turkey and just stop which seems to work the best form what I have heard from friends. There seems to be a common myth that you'll practically die if you simply stop one day.

 

[JayMax]

But people do just quit. I have seen people go cold turkey and just stop which seems to work the best form what I have heard from friends. There seems to be a common myth that you'll practically die if you simply stop one day.

Oh I agree, but it works for some people, doesn't work for others - some take many attempts, some quit on their first attempt.
Some people some 5 a day, some 40 a day - that' why there's so many variables.

How many a day were you smoking and did you quit cold turkey?

 

[jp_bl_68]

I can some up with many reasons why you shouldn't, but none why you should.

It's relaxing.

It is all a bit pathetic really. In this day and age, seeing anyone smoking really makes me wonder why they haven't stopped already.

Personal choice? Enjoyment?

 

[Bloomfield]

I smoke because I like inhaling and exhaling tobacco smoke.