A few hours ago I took a survey asking me to look at some anti‐tobacco warnings and then estimating how many tobacco smokers vs. non‐smokers will suffer the risks.
I don’t think that grown‐ups take up smoking simply because they’re unaware of just how awful it is for them. I think that they usually turn to smoking because it’s a crude coping mechanism and they don’t love living. Think about it: if life sucks anyway, how much difference would avoiding an unhealthy habit like smoking make?
Reducing tobacco consumption is a fine goal, but anti‐tobacco groups (or at least the ones that I’ve seen) go about it completely the wrong way. I think that raising living standards, or maybe even just messages with more positivity and empathy, would have a more substantial effect than giant warnings and photos of hideously deformed organs.
Personally I started smoking at 18 knowing full well how bad it is for you, as did all of my friends who smoke(d). It was absolutely a coping mechanism - smoking became a way to capture the near-undivided social attention of others and the nicotine buzz felt taboo and semi-euphoric.
I only stopped very recently and it’s pretty much only because I’m passionate about maintaining a healthy singing voice and I could feel the weight in my throat and lungs killing me. I still vape. Nicotine’s the devil, but I’ll just offer that the anti-smoking tactics didn’t do a thing for me… and I always thought those “radical” anti-smoking ads from truth. or whatever were cringe as shit. If one came on I’d light up a cigarette to spite them lol.