Hey Jack, I am not a fan of smoking, but I am somewhat fascinated why so many informed, intelligent people still do it knowing that its poison, I don't think it makes someone weak or strong, I just wanted it in the image
My 2 cents on why so many still smoke. I am originally from Maine, which has a high incidence of smoking. What I've observed is that very few people start smoking when they're adults. Almost all smokers I know, including myself
, started when they were teenagers, who tend to think they're invincible, and don't really consider the consequences of their actions. Once they grow up, almost universally, they want to quit. However, at this point, the addiction has taken hold, and quitting is very very difficult. I smoked for 10 years before I quit. It took many attempts before I successfully quit for good. By the time I quit I had moved to Boston, and almost no one in my circle of friends smoked.
However, back at home, most people still smoked. As a result, friends of mine there who wanted to quit not only had to battle the cravings, but had to deal with being constantly surrounded by others who still smoked. After many unsuccessful attempts, they simply gave up trying to quit.
It is slowly getting better. As more people quit, there are fewer and fewer children who grow up in homes with smokers, resulting in fewer teenagers trying them in the first place.
I guess my point here is that the cigarette companies make their fortunes by hooking teens on cigarettes when they're and then relying on the addiction to keep them hooked for the rest of their lives.
