# Is anyone who takes up smoking today a friggin' idiot? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958 "2013-03-25T22:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/1 "2013-03-25T22:09:01Z")
Inspired by something I heard on the radio; a doc who said she couldn’t imagine why anyone today would start smoking. Back in the day of course smoking was the norm, depicted as fashionable for men and women in film; it was a social norm for many, many years. The health concerns where they were even known took a backseat; even the bloody [Flintstones](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvt8skgm2l8) advertised cigarettes, unthinkable today. Now, advertising is banned, it’s rarely seen on TV except in negative health ads, packets have things like “SMOKING KILLS”, “SMOKING HARMS YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU” and gruesome pictorial evidence of what smoking can do. The social norm has greatly diminished - if anything smokers are becoming more ostracised with indoor and even outdoor bans. But still there are young people who take up smoking - I have some even in my family. I tend to agree with the doc in the first para; can’t see any benefits and plenty of drawbacks. Anyway, what do you think when you see young smokers (or are you a young smoker - why did you start)? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/2 "2013-03-25T22:14:03Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Anyway, what do you think when you see young smokers The same as I think when I come across drunks passed out on the sidewalk and druggies in the holding cells – sadness tinged with revulsion. Smoking is an addiction that kills. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/3 "2013-03-25T22:15:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally puoted by **Dr John Tickell** > "It is impossible to be intelligent and smoke at the same time.” … ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/4 "2013-03-25T22:29:44Z")
Teenagers have zero concept of their own mortality. They also believe that they can do it socially with it becoming a habit. They also believe that they’ll do it for a few years then quit when they decide they want to. This is natural teenage thinking. It’s entirely possible for a teen of average intelligence, even one of above average intelligence to start smoking. Stupid? I know a 42 year old who started smoking _3 years ago_. She’d been a marijuana smoker since adolescence, so smoking wasn’t _completely_ alien to her, but cigarettes were “disgusting”. In her late thirties, she and a friend were regularly smoking cloves together because “cloves don’t count”. She moved towns, made new friends and the new friends were smokers. She’d smoke cloves when she was out drinking with friends. Then there were times she didn’t have any cloves and would bum a regular cigarette from someone, but she was smoking cigarettes “only when drinking, so it doesn’t count”. And soon enough she became a smoker. She made it to age 39 without being a cigarette smoker _then_ she became a smoker. Now, _that’s_ stupid. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/5 "2013-03-25T22:29:50Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Anyway, what do you think when you see young smokers ? I think “Damn, I miss being young and smoking.” ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/6 "2013-03-25T22:32:26Z")
It’s not any more stupid than just about everything else people do. They eat fatty food, they pay money to damage their skin with UV rays…all that shit will kill you. Who cares? Let people die as they see fit. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/7 "2013-03-25T22:33:21Z")
Yeah, I think so. But I make a slight exception for people in institutionalized settings. I’d probably smoke too if there was little else to do. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/8 "2013-03-25T23:04:23Z")
When I worked at The Big Ass Call Center, probably 80% of the employees smoked, and 90% were in their early to mid 20’s. People who didn’t smoke unfortunately tended to pick up the habit from hanging out with the smokers on break. I always thought it was seriously stupid. These people forced themselves to go outside and smoke in 20 below zero weather, 100 above, or in heavy rain, because they voluntarily addicted themselves to nicotine. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/9 "2013-03-25T23:06:22Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Teenagers have zero concept of their own mortality. They also believe that they can do it socially with it becoming a habit. They also believe that they’ll do it for a few years then quit when they decide they want to. > > This is natural teenage thinking. It’s entirely possible for a teen of average intelligence, even one of above average intelligence to start smoking. This; most smokers start smoking while quite young, and there’s a reason why “young and foolish” is a cliche phrase. They might not be “stupid” in terms of lacking raw intelligence, but people’s judgement at that age tends to be terrible. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/10 "2013-03-25T23:11:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > This; most smokers start smoking while quite young, and there’s a reason why “young and foolish” is a cliche phrase. They might not be “stupid” in terms of lacking raw intelligence, but people’s judgement at that age tends to be terrible. Until you’re roughly 27, you’re immortal and indestructible. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/11 "2013-03-25T23:21:14Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > Who cares? Let people die as they see fit. I truly wouldn’t care if they bore the costs of their inevitable health care. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/12 "2013-03-25T23:44:07Z")
Not to hijack but FWIW: I recently was in a conversation with 3 or 4 middle aged women who were not smokers. Yet, they had addicted themselves to Nicorete. They would pass it around. To me this was a mind bender. I guess the additive allure is nicotine is a powerful thing. Explain human behavior. And yes, for teens, especially girls who seem to be particularly susceptible, smoking make you look like a lost teenager, not a sophisticated adult. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/13 "2013-03-25T23:44:09Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > It’s not any more stupid than just about everything else people do. They eat fatty food, they pay money to damage their skin with UV rays…all that shit will kill you. Who cares? Let people die as they see fit. Well, we’re all genetically hardwired to crave fat from day 1 and need to eat to survive, while the same can’t be said of smoking. The tanning fad supposedly makes the target market look better (something that used to be true of smoking), although I’ve no doubt that in the future it will be seen as we see the Elizabethan make-up that contained lead. Back in the day when the health effects were just being publicised I can well understand the rebellious youth thinking it wouldn’t affect them - but now the link to cancers and other health problems are firmly established, is youth still a valid excuse for ignoring it to the point where we can say - 18 year old who starts smoking today = youthful misadventures, 42 year old who does the same = dumbass? ETA; **R. P. McMurphy** there was a previous thread on e-cigs which talked about the same phenomenon, although that isn’t quite as confusing to me - there is no ash, CO etc with them or nicorette and the associated health/social awareness, there’s no NICORETTE KILLS on the packet. Although I’d agree that addicting yourself to something just for the fun of it is still pretty pointless even if human nature, throwing your money off a bridge would be quicker. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/14 "2013-03-25T23:53:07Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Teenagers have zero concept of their own mortality. They also believe that they can do it socially with it becoming a habit. They also believe that they’ll do it for a few years then quit when they decide they want to. so, teenagers are friggin’ idiots. > [@](#): > > This is natural teenage thinking. It’s entirely possible for a teen of average intelligence, even one of above average intelligence to start smoking. IOW teenagers are friggin’ idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/15 "2013-03-26T00:46:03Z")
Part of the reason I started smoking was to piss off my then-boyfriend. That \*was \*pretty idiotic. But smoking made me feel good (in the short term), and I don’t think anyone who does something against society’s better judgment is necessarily an idiot. Just rebellious. It’s natural for every teen to rebel against authority at some level. I quit in January (for another guy, paradoxically) and still miss it a lot. But I’m still glad I quit. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/16 "2013-03-26T00:48:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Is anyone who takes up smoking today a friggin’ idiot? Short answer, yes. You have to be a total idiot these days to start smoking, given the amounts of rigorous health education that is given in schools today. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/17 "2013-03-26T00:57:39Z")
“Is anyone who takes up smoking today a friggin’ idiot?” Yes. The stupidest of the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/18 "2013-03-26T01:03:36Z")
I knew all about the hazards of smoking when I took it up as a teenager back in the late 70s, but I also didn’t see myself smoking as an adult. I was correct. I smoked until I was in my mid-20s and then said “screw that shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/19 "2013-03-26T02:00:01Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958/20 "2013-03-26T02:00:08Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Yeah, I think so. But I make a slight exception for people in institutionalized settings. I’d probably smoke too if there was little else to do. I make another [exception](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/release/26516.php). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-who-takes-up-smoking-today-a-friggin-idiot/653958.md?page=2)