Why Do People Smoke?

If you see a classic film, circa 1940s, you might see every character, apart from the 5 year old kid and the dog, smoking. The preferred variety in classic movies is an unfiltered pall mall on a long cigarette holder for the woman. Contrary to popular belief, it is probably true these characters were not smoking because it was seen as a particularly elegant thing to do, but because a lot of people smoked in this time period. Once the surgeon general came out with the first warnings against cigarettes in the 60s, fewer characters on film and television were seen smoking, and today, it is very unusual to see a character on television or on a movie smoking. However, many people feel that smoking is a classy thing when they see these old movies. The elegance of the people and the film itself somehow rubs itself off on a dangerous habit. And since people know it is so dangerous, the question people ask to day is “Why do people smoke?”

A cigarette is a very expressive thing. It can be waved dramatically or extinguished with anger. It is a good prop and something for a nervous person to hang on to. But the question remains "Why do people smoke?” Other things, besides cigarettes can serve as constant props. If one feels the need for such a prop, it is better to get a walking stick or a fountain pen to gesture with. Why not use your hands?

Another answer to the question “Why do people smoke” is that there are many people who simply cannot give up. The question of why they started in the first place is absolutely moot. They might not even remember. But if they try to give up for one day, they start to get shaky, nervous, tempermental or even ill. If the difficulty of quitting is well-known, and if most people who start smoking today know that someday they are going to smoke, then the question “Why do people smoke?” is one that does not lead to clear answers.

Perhaps some people simply have a self-destructive streak, a part of themselves that wants to spoil everything, including their health. But these tendencies can be dealt with in counseling or in creative activity. The question “Why do people smoke?” should be asked again and again to deter people from taking up smoking in the first place.