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Actually, Dibs I see a lot of young people taking up smoking of many different classes. I don't really associate with text-book chavs (the estate dwelling criminal classes who are so easy to sneer at), the people I'm talking about are suburbia-dwelling intelligent people with good upbringing, who have good career prospects and a good education, who just seem to fall into smoking either cos of peer-pressure (which is why I suggested self-esteem) or cos they mistakenly think it looks cool (neuro-association). The "stress" card is often played but unles you've already taken up smoking, why would you smoke under stress?? I have been under constant pressure this year and gone through many stressful periods of my life yet I have thought to myself "oh, I better take up smoking".
It stands to reason that in chavland on the sink estates more or less everyone will smoke... they all dress the same, act the same, it stands to reason that they will all take up smoking without question. However, in my neck of the woods I find the majority of people still smoke and are still taking it up in their teens, which begs the question WHY?
I sometimes think it is because modern life is so directionless and society so spoon-fed that people no longer want to think about what they are doing... it's far easier to bury one's head in the sand and become one of the numbers

...and indeed Mart you will critisize me whatever I write.

Just for the record, I disapprove of most government directives and many of the nannying laws that take away our ability to choose and weigh up risks ourselves. They are unrealistic and presume that the human race has no ability to survive without being told what to do, and that we should be told what to do, by an "elite" group, without question.
The more that this happens, and the longer it goes will just mean the majority of people will get dumber and dumber.
Oh, sorry, could that be constued as "conspiracy theory talk"?

Actually, I hate to come over all wanky but the physiological addictiveness of smoking is hugely over-stated. The primary reason smokers find it so difficult to kick, according to a lot of boring research, is habit and context (ie associating social situations with a smoke). It's simply untrue that the body becomes as physiologiaclly dependent on nicotine as it does on opiates like heroin.

What ever the reasons its hard to give up.The addictives besides nicotine in cigarettes are a scary lot in themselves....cyanide

The number of times I've watched people give up and restart is numerous

Like they say if you don't plan for those times when your most likely to be triggered then its a waste of time

I was right about the alternatives like Nicotine Gum(which incidentily cost more than cigarettes-bizarre) have exploded
and for 10 percent turned into an addiction in themselves



cheers
B....OZ