# Why would any kids start smoking these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407 "2005-09-26T00:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/21 "2005-09-26T18:11:10Z")
Smoking is a way for kids to stick it to the man, to be rebellious, to strike out at the system, to show their individuality…by consuming a product produced by a collection of the biggest and most ethically equivocal corporations in America. Of course, those “in the know” suck down American Spirit cigarettes, which give them a distinctive and individualistic way to fight the system…er, um…by…um…using a consumer product not made by just a big company rather than a massive conglomerate. Power to the People, man! Meanwhile, on this side of the looking-glass, tobacco continues to be the single largest contibutor to chonic illness (heart disease, emphysema, cancer). Like the kids care; who wants to live past forty, anyway? In my relatively brief period as a scuba instructor, I was surprised how many highly experienced divers and especially other instrutors smoked; in fact, I’d have to guess that about 75% of instructors smoke. Our Course Director for my instructor course was a chain smoker that had to suck down better than two packs a day. Given the accentuated hazards of breathing compressed air (there’s a significantly higher incidence of decompression sicknesses (DCS) among smokers) you’d think that people who dive regularly would limit their habit, but no–once they’re out of the water, they’re lighting up even before they can strip down their gear. Weird. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/22 "2005-09-26T21:30:49Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > For the same reason people snort cocaine. For the same reason people drink beer and whiskey. For the same reason I eat fatty, salty foods. > It makes them feel good! If you include feeling rebellious, cool, etc. under feeling good, I’ll agree. But not without that stipulation. I took up smoking for many of the reasons given in this thread. But at no time during the several months I was smoking did I actually find the sensations pleasant of themselves. I was able to quit when I told myself “This is stupid - there’s nothing here you’re enjoying. You are doing this because of what you imagine other people think of you.” As for the relaxation factor, a smoker with a cigarette often feels relaxed compared to the same smoker without one. But I know of nothing in a cigarette that is medically “relaxing”. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/23 "2005-09-26T21:56:24Z")
> [@GrizzRich](#): > > ( **bolding** mine.) > Gad… > > I HOPE I’m being whooshed. No, why would I whoosh you? Oh, I see, you’re one of those people who thinks everyone wants to live as long as possible. And yeah, it’s not the chemicals in cigarettes that reduce anxiety, it’s the process. It’s being able to duck out of a room stacked with fluorescent lights and crammed with people, after doing repetitive boring work for hours, and have fifteen minutes for your very own. I don’t smoke in the lounge; I go outside, where I can be by myself. And, once you’ve started, a big part of it is having something to do with your hands. When you’re a fidgety person who always has to be doing something, that counts for a lot. I can’t meditate; when I try I’m always struck with the realization that really, I’m not doing anything. Smoking is my meditation, a chance for me to clear my head and do almost-nothing. Bonus: If I were to sit outside on a bench for fifteen minutes, there’s always the chance they’ll call me back into work! As long as I have a lit cigarette in my hand, though, that’s not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/24 "2005-09-26T22:01:50Z")
[George Carlin] “Kids don’t smoke because a camel in sunglasses tells them to, they do it for the same reason adults do: because it relieves anxiety and stress… you’d probably be stressed out to if you had to deal with one of these boomer yuppie parents who enroll you in college before you’re old enough to know which side of the playpen smells the worst.” [/GC] ---
**Author:** ![Typically\_Sunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Typically\_Sunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typically_Sunday)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/25 "2005-09-26T22:32:38Z")
I started smoking because I decided it was a good idea at the time. I knew that it wasn’t actually a _good_ idea- like pretty much all kids, smokers or not, I’ve had it drilled into my head that smoking is bad for your body with no positive sides whatsoever, but I figured their must be a reason behind everyone smoking in spite of those facts. Plus, its a nice social connection. Once you start smoking you bond together with the other smokers, and you all usually have a designated spot where you get together and hang out. As an interesting side note, I and a lot of the smokers I knew in high school had problems with depression, and some studies have shown that cigarettes can have the same effects as antidepressants. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/26 "2005-09-26T22:47:41Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Oddly enough, if you check out the young celebrity set, practically ALL of them smoke like chimneys. Every female star under 25 is constantly puffing away. (Ironically, tabloids and gossip rags that report on their every misdeed tend to avoid showing them with cigarettes- in this day and age, smoking is apparently more scandalous and shameful than screwing around with married men!) > . Interesting story on that very subject [All fired up - When celebrities smoke, publishers gasp, but good old-fashioned fornication gets a pass](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/25/INGM6ES5TO1.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/27 "2005-09-27T01:11:28Z")
I spoke with my new doctor about smoking and she said that nicotine is a drug that can be a stimulant _and_ a sedative. It’s not only about how the body reacts to the chemicals, but _how_ the person is smoking. I’m not sure I fully understood what that meant, but I gathered that when you need to be picked up, you smoke in a markedly different way than when you need to calm down. Here’s what I found on the web, from [here](http://www.homedrugtestingkit.com/nicotine.html) > [@](#): > > Nicotine can act as both a stimulant and a sedative. Immediately after exposure to nicotine, there is a “kick” caused in part by the drug’s stimulation of the adrenal glands and resulting discharge of epinephrine (adrenaline). The rush of adrenaline stimulates the body and causes a sudden release of glucose as well as an increase in blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. Nicotine also suppresses insulin output from the pancreas, which means that smokers are always slightly hyperglycemic. In addition, nicotine indirectly causes a release of dopamine in the brain regions that control pleasure and motivation. This reaction is similar to that seen with other drugs of abuse-such as cocaine and heroin- and it is thought to underlie the pleasurable sensations experienced by many smokers. In contrast, nicotine can also exert a sedative effect, depending on the level of the smoker’s nervous system arousal and the dose of nicotine taken. I myself have noticed this. I get up, feel groggy & have my first cigarette of the day. At that point, I feel a little more human. When I’m stressed, upset or whatever, I have a smoke and feel a little calmer. I haven’t noticed if my physical process of smoking is different in these two scenarios. I’ll try to be more aware of it & see if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/28 "2005-09-27T10:32:09Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Also, if a kid grows up with a smoking parent, they tend to smoke themselves as they see nothing wrong with it. Both my parents smoked like chimneys. My younger brother took up smoking during college, then quit cold turkey. My other brother and I hate the tobacco habit and never had the slightest interest in it. We watched the 'rents try to quit 3 times. Each time it was miserable for them and for us. They both died young–Dad made it to 50 and died of cancer. Both my sons received Anti-Cigarette Indoctrination from an early age. The older one began smoking in college, said “it’s just a phase” and that he would quit after graduation. He has not done so. For him, smoking was/is definitely a stress reliever and a social thing. He lives in France now. I don’t see him quitting anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/29 "2005-09-27T10:38:45Z")
As for why kids smoke tobacco today, it’s true that some young people, no matter how intelligent or well-informed, will experiment with just about any risky, edgy behavior. It doesn’t matter to them what statistics (or their parents) say. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/30 "2005-09-27T16:58:01Z")
I needed a bad habit. I was too squeaky clean and I had difficulty relating to other teens because I was very focused and self-disciplined. I had peers tell me they felt uncomfortable talking about normal teen stuff like angst and conflicting emotions because I was always so calm and composed that they didn’t feel I would be able to empathize with them. To a certain degree they were right. Seeing me light up made me seem more human versus being seen as a programmed over-achiever bot. Sometimes the desire to fit in somewhere, even if it’s the smoker’s circle, is pretty strong. The time spent together hiding your activities from the adults is a bonding time and can be pretty tempting for those who feel isolated from their peers, for whatever reason. I now consider myself very lucky because I didn’t get addicted and decided the tactic of smoking to seem more like a normal rebelious teen wasn’t worth it after a few months. I haven’t touched a cigarette since. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/31 "2005-09-27T21:36:10Z")
I don’t smoke, but those annoying **Truth** Brats have sorely tempted me. ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/32 "2005-09-27T21:46:25Z")
If I started smoking right now, it would be out of curiosity. It’s like when you want to watch a scary movie, but you know it’ll scare you, so you don’t watch it. Or you do and totally piss in your pants. And young people are just attracted to anything that is seen as “bad” or “rebellious”. I admit that I want to try one cigarette, but I’m afraid that I might become addicted to it and ruin my health. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Jibby\_Jabbish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Mr.Jibby\_Jabbish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Jibby_Jabbish)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/33 "2005-09-28T14:45:44Z")
Over the past two nights, you only needed to watch clips of Dylan from the 60s, with that hair, the shades, the cool outfits, a sneer on his lips and a butt in his hand to realize why kids want to smoke. It’s just so incredibly cool and casually completes an attitude that’s guaranteed to get the old folks’ shorts in a knot. I’m sure kids don’t give a damn about Dylan, but the desire for cool hasn’t changed much, and a smoke today probably annoys the elders even more than it used to. I mean, my God, your health! Think about your health, if nothing else, you little fool! Er, yeah, pops, thanks fer the advice. Got a light? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/34 "2005-09-28T22:21:07Z")
> [@astro](#): > > From an image perspective cigarettes (at this point) are … rejected as esthetically disgusting by many, … and tend to be used mainly by … lower middle class demographic cohorts. The parts I’ve excerpted describe how tattoos and multiple piercings were viewed until relatively recently. The reasons to do them are probably similar and equally persuasive. As to why health and expense don’t matter, those reasons are disregarded by all kinds of people for other things as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407/35 "2005-09-29T03:39:35Z")
> [@dare\_devil007\_](#): > > I admit that I want to try one cigarette, but I’m afraid that I might become addicted to it and ruin my health. And you call yourself a daredevil. Harrumph. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-kids-start-smoking-these-days/323407.md?page=1)