Ask a smoker

[Dystopia]

In that case, the worst of it will come much later for you.  But before you have a long, drawn-out death from heart disease or cancer, you can look forward to a greatly increased chance of impotence.  (You can do an online search for "smoking impotence" without the quotation marks and see for yourself.)

Is the taste of cigarettes better than having good sex?

End of sermon.

It's your life, live it how you want.  But make sure it is what you want. 

I'm very well aware of the bad effects of smoking - Probably more aware than some non-smoker anti-smoking activists. I don't take it personally - In fact I appreciate the advise and wise observations - I think good sex is better than cigarettes, but the first morning cigarette is better than a bad fuck

I don't smoke a lot of cigars but from time to time I smoke a cigarillo (popular in Portugal and Spain, basically a small cigar) and it feels good - I wonder if it would be better to replace my 20 cigarettes per day by one cigarillo per month?

I know nothing real about how addictive or pleasurable smoking might be.  I grew up in a smoke free household.  The only relative I had who smoked was my grandfather and he spent more time packing and unpacking his pipe and chewing on the handle than he ever did smoking it.


I hate the smell of tobacco smoke especially stale tobacco smoke. But I love the sweet smell of it before it is smoked.  I have fond memories of Eads Smoke and News a funky little Boulder store devoted to fine tobacco, news and special interest magazines, sci fi, true crime, horror fic, mystery novels, and newspapers world wide.  The smell of good pipe tobacco will take me right there.

I do enjoy the smell of cigars before they are smoked, it's very sweet.

I find your questions interesting and will answer them all

Do you think tobacco would create the same kind of crime as other illegal drugs if it were either outlawed altogether or taxed to the point that ordinary people couldn't smoke it?

Yes I do - Nicotine is very addictive - If you google it you'll figure out that it is more addictive than marijuana and it is close to alcohol and heroin (for some people it may be more addicting than heavy drugs) - People would not stop smoking. In Portugal counterfeit cigarettes are a good business because at the same time our economy gets worse the price has been increasing - Natural leaf tobacco planted by farmers is also popular because it is very cheap. Many people don't smoke packs anymore - I don't, only rolled ones, I roll by hand, and I plan to start smoking natural leaf (I have a farmer friend who will sell it, someone I can trust).

Do you find it odd that we are legalizing marijuana in the U.S. at the same time we are putting ever tighter controls on tobacco?

Yes and it's not a US exclusive phenomenon - The main argument for drug legalization is that people should be free to consume what they please and as long as the effects aren't overwhelmingly terrible (like Heroin) it's ok. The other argument is that it's a public health concern and shouldn't send you to jail. I think making cigarettes illegal while you make marijuana legal is idiotic specially if you consider that the majority of Europeans mix tobacco with weed because smoking a "pure" (we call them "purex") joint is too much and will "kill you" (not literally). Also, I notice a trend among the young of smoking cigarettes if you also smoke weed.

I believe there are economic interests involved as well - My government raises the prices of tobacco, but medicine and pharmaceutical products to stop smoking are much more expensive - There's a lot of profit involved. Believe it or not, the majority (and the worst) price raises in tobacco are not done by my government but by the producer for profit. Many people in Portugal switched to rolling cigs and the sales of regular cigs dropped - Now the only company that holds a monopoly is increasing prices of rolling cigs to make people go back to packs. I remember that 50grams of amber leaf costed 6.10€ - That's maybe 6 or 7 packs of cigarettes (A single pack of the cheapest cigarettes is 4.10 or 4.00€) - now there are not 50grams packs but it has gotten maybe 3€ more expensive. That's a lot.  I find the medical costs argument stupid - Our former health minister said that smoking should be promoted because smokers cost less. Why? Because even if we account for medical costs, the average years a smoker lives are less and thus it's (on average) less 11 years of retirement pension, 11 less years of medical costs (the elderly have more diseases and healthcare is public/free so it is paid with taxes), less 11 years of social security and burdening. Obviously there's an increased cost because smokers are more likely to have medical problems like lung cancer, but that's not an argument for banning smoking. I believe there are some mentalities and ideas about smokers involved - Society needs to pick on people and for some folks smoking is low class and dumb - I noticed this is more common in the US, while in Europe there are more smokers and it's considered fashionable by some to smoke... In fact, brands like Marlboro are so expensive that smoking them makes you look rich and wealthy.

What do you like best about smoking the taste and experience of smoking or the effects of nicotine?

The relaxation it provides - It helps me cope with my depressive tendencies and lack of self-esteem. I do love the taste - It's probably what I enjoy the most, and the overall feeling of smoking a cigarette.

Do you think that being 21 gives you a sense of immortality and therefore carelessness with your future health?

Yes I do, but I know people with 60+ years who behave similarly. I think more than being young my lack of hope for a better future for Humans and our planet makes me feel bad and I feel the need to smoke. I admit I make lots of excuses.


I liked all the answers so far, thanks guys