My brother recently travelled to Europe, and one of his observations was that people in Europe tended to smoke far more than people in North America. I found this impossibly strange. I saw no reason for it. So, granted this is a small sample size, but I had to know. There are a bunch of options here, as I had to essentially make three lists of each options, for North American, European and other.

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This poll contains 1 question(s). 95 user(s) have voted.
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Poll Results: Do you smoke? (95 votes.)

How do you characterize your smoking habits (or lack thereof)? (Choose 1)
* I'm North American, and I've never even tried a cigarette - 18% (17)
* I'm European, and I've never even tried a cigarette - 26% (25)
* I'm neither North American or European, and I've never even tried a cigarette - 9% (9)
* I'm North American, and I smoke socially (pubs, clubs, etc.) - 4% (4)
* I'm European, and I smoke socially (pubs, clubs, etc.) - 8% (8)
* I'm neither North American or European, and I smoke socially (pubs, clubs, etc) - 0% (0)
* I'm North American and I smoke frequently (daily) - 5% (5)
* I'm European and I smoke frequently (daily) - 13% (12)
* I'm neither North American or European and I smoke frequently (daily) - 1% (1)
* I'm North American and I quit smoking - 8% (8)
* I'm European and I quit smoking - 5% (5)
* I'm neither North American or European and I quit smoking - 1% (1)

North American/quit smoking.

I noticed the same thing in Spain. Smoking appeared much more prevelant. Our (Spanish) tour guide even commented on it.

I started smoking at 16, quit as seventeen. It never really dug it's meathooks into me, thank god. Or, I'm just better at quitting than most people. I did a tapered-quit plan (ie. half pack a day, down to 1 pack one week, half pack the next, then quarter, etc.) One of the stupidest activities one can engage in, IMO. The desire to look like a tough guy was the reason I started.

(hey Aldeth - you should include at the top a request for people to say WHY they got started)

Sidenote: In case any girls here wonder if smoking is a turn-off...if the guy doesn't smoke, then yes it is. Just nasty.

I smoke at times when out drinking and such, not very much though. I am however a nicotinist. I use a Swedish style of tobacco which you use by putting it under your lip. You have it in the states even if it isnt widespread. Copenhagen and Shoal and the like. I am seriously hooked. I actually started out as a smoker and got addicted to nicotine that way but smoking was too expensive and had many many obvious negative effects so I started using my "snus" instead. Not good but a lot cheaper and healthier than cigarettes. Too bad it is even more addictive and I cant see myself ever quitting. :(

I have also noticed that in China, smoking is very common - people smoke in restaurants, workplaces, etc. However, no one in my family currently smokes (we are all Asian).

I was also unsure of what to put for North American/European/Other. I was born in Asia but spent most of my life in the US. But I have no idea whether you are referring to ethnicity or social background, Aldeth.

My grandfather died when I was 12. Lung cancer, caused by smoking too many cigarrettes. He wasn't 60 yet. Listening to him coughing and spitting blood, along with tiny pieces of his lungs when he was near the end, convinced me to never try a cigarrette in my life. It's bad enough having to be a paassive smoker. :mad:

There are far too many smokers in Spain, specially young people. I think it's because the idea that you will look cool if you smoke. Personally, I don't consider "cool" kissing a yellow-toothed girl that smells like an ashtray.

I am now living in Ireland, where the recently implemented smoking ban in pubs and restaurants is a blessing from the gods.

Hah ! I just like places I can dump useless trivia I sucked up somewhere. The difference between Frane and Switzerland is, that the French smoke very "hardcore" cigarettes, while the Swiss go for everything that has "light" printed on it. The reason for that is, if may memory doesn't fail me now, is that France did take steps against smoking very early. In case, they put bans on advertising smoking. That was before "light" cigarettes became the great marketing hype. Because of the regulations, advertisment for "light" cigarettes never reached the French smoker and he was simply unaware of the existence or "reasons" to smoke "light" cigarettes. So, he stayed with the "un-filtered" or "less-filtered" cigarettes. The introduction of the new "light" type of cigarette just wasn't possible because a marketing campaign couldn't be successfuly launched.

That of course leads to the point that because of steps to hinder smoking, they supported it. Isn't that ironic ?

I quit for good last summer after 5 years of smoking and 2 1/2 packs a day in the end. I don't regret that I ever smoked, but I am so happy that I quit and thankful to have my life back.

It's bad enough having to be a paassive smoker. Indeed it is and it's far more dangerous than people, especially smokers, believe. A recent study with children whose parents smoke in the house showed that their nicotine blood level was 15! times higher than for children who lived in a non-smoker house. Even smoking outside (e.g. the balcony) doesn't completely reduce the effects on other people (nicotine blood level is twice as high for children whose parents smoke outside).

North American, and I've never tried cigarettes. Now the occasional cigar or other recreational incarnations...That's another story. :eek: :lol:

@ Oaz

Only you can answer your question - do you consider yourself an American or an Asian - it's your choice.

I'm European and used to smoke, though never heavily. Now I've kicked the habit, and just enjoy a good cigar every once in a while. Now the other type of cigarette.... :hippy:

nope, never smoked and never will I don't think. European

European/never touched a cigarette, but I'm an exception over here.

European, and I usually enjoy a few cigarettes when I'm drinking (especially if it's beer). But in Norway you are no longer (since June 1, 2004) allowed to smoke at places where people work (all pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés etc.).

Wel, I smoked for about 3 months when I was a teenager, but it was too expensive, so I quit.

In our city, smoking is banned in all indoor areas, so more and more people are quitting (I guess freezing your ass off in the middle of winter just to have a smoke isn't much fun). It's so weird now going to other places and smelling cigarette smoke in, say, a restaurant (non-smoking areas aren't always all that smoke-free).

I fall into the North American/Never smoked column. It is a little early to tell but it looks like there will be far too many never smoked and too few smokers to do a proper geographical comparison.

My general observations from my travels throughout Western Europe/Canada/the Eastern U.S.A. have been that smoking wasn't noticably more common in Europe than it is in North America (except for Spain where smoking seemed to be very common).

As for the geographical thingy I am quite sure that many studies have shown that it is a north/south thing in Europe and to some extent a west/east thing. In my own experience Greeks also smoke like crazy while smoking in northern Europe with the exception of Denmark is pretty much like in the states.

European, never did never will.

European, i don't smoke, cause i want to live very long, happy and healthy, but i'm the only one of my classroom who doesn't smoke.
And i've never smoked or touched a sigarette. :eek:

European, and i have been smoking for 26 years now. Never even tried to quit, i enjoy it too much.

None of those for me :lol:

I practically don't smoke. I've never bought any cigs for myself, nor do I normally take when offered. However, it doesn't mean I never smoke, though to say that I smoke socially would be an overstatement.

Europe here.

I started smoking when I was around 12/13. I tried giving up, I lasted 4 days. It is very difficult. I think in the UK there are far more smokers then non smokers, it is the same everywhere I am sure.

I don't smoke.

I don't dislike smokers. That would be stupid. But I do hate being in a room full of smokers. The smoke hurts my eyes and I can't be doing with it.

I definitely noticed that smoking was far more prevalent in England than in New Zealand. After a night at the pub in England all your clothes smell of tobacco smoke. Plus, if you walk down a London city street during the day you will see a perpetual bunch of people huddled outside every building having a cigarette break.

I am not sure of the reason for why smoking should be so much more pervasive in England than in New Zealand. In New Zealand, smokers are certainly in the minority, but in England, it felt like non-smokers were the minority.

Though I hate smoking and pity pack-a-day smokers, I do like cigarrette smoke. Sounds goofy, but I do have a good reason.

When I was a wee one, my favorite place on earth was Grandma and Grandpa's house. Fresh baked cookies, granny buying me toys, grandpa's "got your nose!" that never got old, etc. Very, very happy time for me. Both granny and gramps smoked like chimneys. So now whenever I smell smoke from a Marlboro Red, or a particular brand of pipe tobacco, I get this unshakable rush of nostalgia. Every time.

It's funny how humans can associate certain smells or sounds with memories and specific times in their lives. I'll propbably have that association with me my whole life.

@ Death Rabbit:

Yeah, my granddad used to smoke pipe, too, and I will never forget that sweet smell. Cigarettes, however, seem to smell all the same.

I love the smell of pipe tobacco smoke (in small doses). Or even just the tobacco itself. Actually, I could have easily been a pipe smoker in my younger days if it weren't for the fact that nobody else did it and it was decidedly "uncool".

Can't stand cigarettes. They stink out everything. Come home from the pub and you just reek of smoke.

Scandinavian, and never even tried. Several of my relatives smoke, though. :nolike:

Their loss.

North American/ Social smoker.

Though by "social"; I mean "drunk". Therefore: I smoke when I drink. :p

That's cigarettes though...I love the smell of pipesmoke, and I've even got myself a pipe. All I'm waiting for is a chance to start buying myself some tobacco for it and I'll probably smoke it more often.

North American here, and I ticked the "never smoke" category. That's not entirely true however. I did take three puffs off of one at the age of ten, hated it, and never tried it again. I developed an allergy to cigarrettes as a teenager, so that further solidified my hatred of cigarrettes.
I do like the smell of good raw tobacco, though.

Do you smoke?No. However, I do chew nicotine gum from time to timel; usually during deadlines. The funny thing is, unless I over-do it (>2.0mg/4hours), I'm still hypotensive.

Caffeine also has less effect than I would care for it to have, but such is life...

When I was 13, I started to smoke. Quitted in January last year, so that makes me a quitter for 1.5 years and a smoker for, let's see, 3 years.

However, whenever my girlfriend is out of town, and she is a lot, I smoke at parties my dudes have. She knows that I smoke at parties, and have no problem with it, but herself doesn't like the taste of ciggarettes in my mouth( :p ) and are alllergic to ciggarette smoke herself.

However, I do not agree on Joacquin's comment. Where I live, which IIRC, is about 350-450 kilometres north of where he lives, the Swedes smoke like ovens. Most people smoke here, and you can hardly stick your nose out the window without smelling cigarrette smoke from someone nearby.

EDIT: Oops, I forgot to add my location, but if you don't know where Sweden lies, you truly should study a bit more. :D

Non-European here - Aussie and proud - who smokes regularly. Tried quitting briefly but failed quite quickly, even when I had my Wisdon Teeth taken out and was told I was not to smoke for 10 days in case I did some damage to my still-raw gums, I managed to last 3. Not yet ready to quit for real though.

I only smoke when I'm out of snus (or snuff or whatever it is in english. The stuff you put under your lip). It's very hard to get your hands on in Finland, since selling it is illegal. So you have to go to sweden to get it. :nolike:

Oh, and I am european.

well i guess i smoke social, at least when i get drunk enough. I know it sounds a little weird, but when i get drunk I find smoke really funny to look at, so sometimes I have a cigaret or two, when I'm drunk. but since it's not something i do at every social event, I don't think it really counts as social smoking, I mean i don't get that drunk every time. there should have bin the option "I'm European and have tried smokes, but didn't like them". That would be me, i mean, i can't even inhale smoke without getting real sick, so my weird obsession with smoke when I'm drunk, isn't very social.

@Frostmage - They don't sell snuff in Finland??? What is the rationale? Obviously they don't ban tobacco products entirely, or they wouldn't have cigarettes either. It seems like they would have to have a good reason to ban some tobacco products but not others.

As far as the confusion with the choices on the poll, I admit that they are a bit vague. The first set of options should have said, "I never or very rarely smoke". That would have made it more appropriate. I assumed if you tried a cigarette or two, you would still say you were a non-smoker, and not a social smoker. I consider a social smoker someone who is likely to have a cigarette if they go to a party, bar, pub, club, etc., but most likely would not have a cigarette if they stayed in that night.

My Dad smokes, and I hate it. Thing that has put me off though, was that my uncle got in a terrible state because of them.

Not only does no one in my household smoke, my 4-year-old son is quite the anti-smoking advocate. There's no such thing as a "cigarette;" they're all "nasty cigarettes." Ever since our local grocery burnt down from a carelessly-tossed butt, he thinks every fire has been caused by a "nasty cigarette."

Wel, I smoked for about 3 months when I was a teenager, but it was too expensive, so I quit.Splunge, I've wondered for quite some time why cigarettes are so popular with people who can barely afford to eat. That angle was brought out in a series of radio commercials a few years ago. The "lead" was going to take the money she saved by not smoking for a year and go on a vacation.

Rally, it’s not that I couldn’t afford it; it’s just that, as a teenager, I was a penny-pinching miser (probably explains why I became an accountant :D ). Actually, by the time I graduated from high school, I had a fairly decent-sized bank account (relative to my peers).

But assuming you were using my comments more as a segue to your point, I agree that many smokers seem to be those who can least afford it; in some cases, they’d rather puff on a cancer stick than pay the rent or put groceries on the table. And in Canada, I think it’s worse than in the States. Cigarettes here are taxed very heavily, and the price of a pack of 25 cigarettes I think runs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10 Cdn. ($7.50 US) or more (although it varies province-to-province).

Wierd the last time I was in Europe, I noticed that the people in Prague smoked like crazy, everyone was smoking. Really wierd coming from a nearly smoke-free city in the U.S.

Former social smoker here, didn't really quit so much as I just sorta didn't smoke again after college. It wasn't a concious decision, I just was never that into it I guess.

As a side note, both of my grandparents from my mother's side of the family died from smoking related cancer.

Hey, it's not my lungs, but it sure is the air I breathe! > :(

very infrequent smoker, less than socially...

@Aldeth: smokeless tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco, we called it "chaw") might be even more carcinogenic than cigarettes, and I think it delivers more nicotine than cigarettes as well. Maybe that's why they banned it in Finland. Took it up for a while when wrestling; gave it up when I saw a few picts of guys with oral cancer... :eek:

Never touched a deathstick in my life. And now I work for a place that sells them, and I don't think I could afford to start.

I might consider a cigar for special occasions, but nothing else.

Nope, and don't intend to begin either :p

Though a friend do smoke, and i think my mother smoke on partys(sp?) an' stuff :?

@Frostmage - They don't sell snuff in Finland??? What is the rationale? Obviously they don't ban tobacco products entirely, or they wouldn't have cigarettes either. It seems like they would have to have a good reason to ban some tobacco products but not others. Well as far as I know snuff is forbidden in the most of EU. Sweden has a specieal right because it has "cultural bonds" with the stuff. Personally I find the thing disgusting and am more than happy to have it banned. The smell of it just makes me sick.

Oh and on the topic itself, I'm one of those social smokers and smoke when I'm drunk. Cigars perhaps on special occations even without alcohol.

When it comes to snus they even had to remove the warning labels about cancer as all studies had been inconclusive. Now I am not naive enough to think the stuff isnt bad for me, but it is without a question vastly less dangerous than cigarettes. You do get much more nicotine though, which if you are a nicotinist migth be both a good and a bad thing.

Also if I am not mistaken I think it is closer for snus to be allowed in the rest of EU than it for being banned in Sweden as well.

I'm European, have never smoked, and probably never will.

I smoke occasionally; no more than twelve or so a week.

The thing that strikes me as most ironic about my smoking habit is that when I was younger I was the loudest one out of mum's 3 kids about her quitting and I'm the only one that smokes.

Smoke like a chimney (Eurpoean, UK) and wish I didn't. Quit for a month, then split up with partner. Biiiiiiig mistake.........

Never tried one. Never appealed. I'm a casual 2nd hand smoker though... not by choice.

I smoke about 6 cigarets in a year.. ehen I went out had a real good time and wait for people, that happens 6 time a year :S

I know I've answered in this thread before, but uhh...things've kinda changed.

I now smoke on an almost-regular basis. Only at work though; and then I usually only have one or 2 smokes a day, (heh...I can't handle any more than that...and even *that* can wreck me sometimes :p ) and only when I'm seriously depressed...which has been happening a lot lately (hence the "almost-regular" basis)

And unless things start looking up for me, well...I'll have to start getting my 19 year old buds to buy me packs of smokes soon.
*sigh*

Why can't the government just legalize weed so I can smoke some peace-leaf in public, rather than having to resort to this nasty "tobacco" (read: cigarette) crap?

Because that would be stupid and because smoking isn't a 'right'?

The government will eventually legalize weed. Then we will all have different smoking addictions.

Yeah I smoke. I'd like to quit but I don't want to quit that much ... yet.

I voted for N. American / stopped, though that's hardly accurate. I tried once, smoked half a cig and it was so nasty (even as drunk as I was) that I never tried it again.

Now, I so dislike the stench that I roll up the windows in my car while driving near a smoker and hold my breath and walk wide around the stink-faces surrounding the building entrances. Around here, smokers seem to thing that the entire world is their ash tray and have no problem flicking their butts out the window, into the grass, on the sidewalk, etc. It's disgusting! :(

I don't smoke either. Although, at family reunions, I second-hand-smoke about a pack... :(

The government will eventually legalize weed. Then we will all have different smoking addictions. Uhhh, Jaguar, you do know that weed is not addictive...right?

I guess you could say I quit, but then again I guess you could say I'm in the process of quitting. Over 2 months now since my last Export 'A medium. Smoked since I was 12 or so, and that's about 5 years I guess.

Sure Triactus, that's why they would stop smoking weed, but they don't want to :rolleyes:

I dont smoke *anything*. Im an asthmatic and i'd probably die. My (also asthmatic) friend smokes tobacco and pot... what an idiot

European/former smoker

I don't particularly like the scent of burning tobacco but I can tolerate it. My woman, now, that's a completely different story. She wants to rip smoker's heads off!

Every time we go out drinking we have that same argument: me saying that it's not sensible to visit a place one knows contains a lot of smokers and then complain about them. She saying she doesn't care, she feels her rights violated and she wants to have smokers whipped on a regular basis, fascist pigs that they are. Whew.

BTW, I was on vacation in Greece recently and I found out that there isn't any living Greek who doesn't smoke but one shepherd on Samothrakis called Mihalis. Apart from him everyone in Greece is smoking. Regardless of age. Tough.

Norwegian (Europe) smoker, tried my first smoke when I was 12 but didn't start as a regualr until I was around 15, now i'm 20 and smoke around 15 pr day, I really wanna quit but I really wanna smoke too ...

Here in Norway reserch show that around 1/3 of the adult population smokes.

1.June this year we got a smoking ban on all pubs/bars and public places , sucks a bit for the smokers but it's only fair that you non-smokers dont have to breather our poison.

Gonna read a book thats suppused to GUARANTEE you quit smoking, hope that helps me!

Wish me luck in quitting!

Best of luck. That stuff is known to be physically addictive, so I'm not sure how much reading a book will help. Best of luck all the same! :D

Good luck in stoping! ;)

@BigStick, the way I see it, addiction is mostly a mind thing. Yes, your body "needs" the thing your addicted to, but it's your mind that gives in. You can choose to take what your addicted to (while I may make it sound as if it's real easy, it's not!). And the book probably teaches the reader how to will your body in stoping. Then again, the book might only be a money maker... :D

Sure Triactus, that's why they would stop smoking weed, but they don't want to :rolleyes: Well...actually...that's about it. There is not addictive substance in weed (unless you buy some cheap stuff out of a street corner. Then, you're not sure if it's even weed you're smoking...). The fact that you continue to smoke is entirely up to the smoker. And like everything, there are some people that go too far with it. Actually, it's a lot like alcohol. While it's absolutly non-addictive, you still get some people who are alcoholic...

It's called a 'mental' addiction. They get addicted to the feeling it gives them, not the chemical component. Thus you have the problem of the 'hit' being less and less for each time they light up. Eventually they have to go through about 5 times as much weed to get the same 'feeling' as they did with their first puff.

Uhhh, Jaguar, you do know that weed is not addictive...right? I wasn't talking about the weed. I was talking about the munchies after the weed. There will be a worldwide shortage of pork rinds and cheezies. :D

When I was 5-6 years old, I was asked by a friend of my parents to try it out. It tasted bad just like I'd always smelled from my parent's smoking. After that I've never even thought about doing it. Smokers reek of rotten teeth anyway so the manner is annoying to say the least. No offense to anyone here, just the way I see it.

@Jaguar, damn munchies! :shake:

And you're forgetting the shortage of oreo cookies... :D

Actually, the two ex-girlfriends with whom I had children both smoke and one is asthmatic while my eldest son is apparently asthmatic as well.

I've been smoking for one year now. I consider it better than drinking or unpurposely eating, which I did a lot former to my smoking career. Tobacco doesn't alter your behaviour, doesn't make you fat, but may make you ill... I guess there's always a downside. ;)

Update: I'm down to social smoking as if anyone cared... about one pack a month now.

[ March 27, 2005, 05:15: Message edited by: Maertyn ]