home Calculators Why do people start smoking? Why do people smoke if everyone knows that it is harmful?

Why do people start smoking? Why do people smoke if everyone knows that it is harmful?

If you ask a smoker this question, he will most likely answer that it is just a habit. Indeed, nicotine addiction is a very complex thing, so getting rid of it is not so easy. After all we're talking about not only about the physical, but also about the mental craving for smoking. Why do people smoke? What is the power of tobacco?

Is it possible that nicotine is addictive, or maybe the reason for this is the weak willpower of the smoker? Or is he simply afraid to stop being part of the smoking company? There are a lot of questions, so today we decided to take a closer look real reasons smoking.

Why do people continue to smoke?

We invite you to find out how experienced smokers answer this question. Almost everyone smoking people I have my own opinion on this matter.

“With the help of smoking I fight excess weight”

The most common reason for smoking is fear of gaining weight. Every second smoker claims that with the help of a cigarette he manages to maintain normal weight and not gain extra pounds. And this is actually true, because smoking dulls the feeling of hunger and slightly weakens taste sensations, so people who smoke more than 10 cigarettes daily eat less.

"Smoking is fashionable"

Advertising has always had big influence per person. For many years tobacco companies create promotions and even give out prizes for purchasing cigarettes. In addition, in films, on television, and on billboards, successful, attractive people with a cigarette in their teeth are constantly “flaunted”.

Therefore, it is not at all surprising that most of our teenagers, already from school, try to imitate their idols by tasting tobacco. With a cigarette in their hands, they feel grown-up, fashionable, and successful.

"Smoking helps me relax"

The psychological dependence on smoking is very strong. Sometimes people take up a cigarette, convincing themselves that it will help them relax and avoid stress. Others use smoking to gain self-confidence. Still others smoke when they are bored. That is, psychologically, when smoking a cigarette, a person programs himself for calm, moral satisfaction, and increased self-esteem.

"I like to smoke"

Some people associate the process of smoking a cigarette with a certain ritual that simultaneously uses several senses. Almost all experienced smokers claim that they enjoy the taste and smell cigarette smoke. For most people who smoke, a cigarette is a way to start a conversation at a party or other crowded place. This phenomenon is known as “social smoking”, and is often accompanied by alcohol.

Why people smoke: the real reasons

No matter what excuses smokers come up with, the main reason for smoking is that addicted people cannot get rid of this addiction on their own. The fear of “withdrawal syndrome” is quite great. People are sure that they will not be able to survive the period of withdrawal; they do not know how they will overcome stress or behave in difficult situations. Consequently, nicotine addiction does not bring pleasure from smoking, but simply creates a fear of quitting cigarettes.

In fact, the body begins to wean itself off nicotine just two hours after smoking a cigarette. That is, nicotine addiction is almost 100% psychological. One has only to get rid of illusions and break vicious circle from one cigarette to another, as you become a free man. Not only doctors talk about this, but also former smokers who managed to cope with bad habit.

Conclusion and conclusions

The reasons why people smoke manifest themselves in different ways. But each of us can give up this harmful habit. The main thing is the desire to quit smoking. Believe me, life without nicotine is much brighter and more interesting: by giving up cigarettes, you can improve your appearance, save money for travel, make new acquaintances and, of course, become younger and healthier. When you achieve such results, the thought will certainly come to you: “Why did I smoke before?”... But that’s a completely different story.

Don’t poison yourself with cigarettes, take care of your health, be beautiful and healthy!

When I received a notification that I was being asked to answer a question, I felt scared: D

In fact, I cannot speak for all smokers, but looking at many of my acquaintances who smoke, one can conclude why they started smoking:
a) drunk. Being in a cheerful drinking company, you can’t do anything.
b) out of stupidity and youth, for company. Some grow up in such conditions that no one explains to them the dangers of smoking. Teenagers try to appear “cooler” or more sociable.
c) due to stress. During periods of overexertion, some also reach for a cigarette.

G) social reasons in adulthood - when everyone at work smokes, but you don’t, and it turns out that you’re left behind.

People are naive. Some people think that they can quit at any time, some say that they like smoking, others don’t think about addiction at all, they smoke and that’s fine. But the hungry nicotine monster will overtake them all.

A completely different question is why they don't quit. Basically - lack of willpower.

Now from the general to the specific - I’ll tell you about myself, since this is the case.
One fine day in May 2004, a friend came to me, very upset. Then friends came and she asked them to share a cigarette. And I took two. For what? I have no idea. I finished smoking and forgot.
Then it became more fun - I went crazy for a week. I got irritated about everything. One day I went out for a walk, and another friend lit a cigarette, I smelled this divine smoke - and that’s it, it dawned on me, I literally snatched the cigarette from her. By the way, for a year and a half before that, I couldn’t stand people smoking around me at all - and many of us smoked, it’s scary to say at what age, the city is dysfunctional, almost everyone drinks and smokes there, and abandoned teenagers even more so.
We did not have the Internet, there were no educational activities that would explain to teenagers the dangers of smoking. It would seem that you smoked, so what? I was not yet 14 then. Many friends smoked, God forgive me, from childhood - from the age of 7... They had “excellent” examples before their eyes - their “parents”. Diseases, cancer - what does this have to do with us children. Yeah. Yes.

When my mother caught me, she said, “If I see you again, I’ll tear my hands off.” The flexible child’s brain grabbed onto “I’ll see.” There was never a direct ban)

That same summer I tried to quit for the first time, because it took a lot of money. 2 weeks of rabies and they put a cigarette in my teeth.
Then I somehow came to terms with it. In 2010 I tried to quit again, bought patches, read Carr’s book, but everything was even worse - I don’t want to list what I did and how I behaved, but it was pure hell on earth, as a result of which they again put a cigarette in my mouth , apparently, just so as not to kill)) The author of one of the answers, Vladimir Egorov, indicated Ritual as one of the “values” of smoking for a smoker. And, damn it, he’s right - the hardest thing was to give up ritual cigarettes.

I no longer had the desire to quit, I already nerve cells will not be enough. Over time, I began to smoke more, up to 2 packs a day. Last year, due to health reasons, I had to cut back, but it didn’t work out much, to 1.5 packs a day.
Now I'm trying to switch to an electronic cigarette, although I still can't give up regular cigarettes completely. But there is progress - a pack of 2 days + email. I will try to reduce the amount further.

I don't even remember what it's like not to smoke. Run without being out of breath (I took part in competitions until 2004), walk quickly without being out of breath, smell. The most annoying thing in this situation is not even the harm done to oneself, but the prohibitions. When you're boarding at the airport, there's no smoking room. Either endure and suffer, or go out into the street, but you need to go through the inspections again. It’s not allowed on trains, it’s not allowed here, it’s not allowed there, everything is not allowed everywhere. With the purchase of electronic cigarettes it became easier, you can smoke them everywhere except airports, and again, sometimes it’s somehow uncomfortable in establishments. Except in some hookah bars) It’s a shame, because not all smokers are marginal, and I’ve never smoked in people’s faces, I always move away. When smoking while walking and passing by people, I generally hold my breath with the smoke so as not to let it out on them. And still there are prohibitions all around. Plus social pressure - A GIRL SHOULD NOT SMOKE, YOU ARE A FUTURE MOTHER. In my opinion, it is my right to decide whether I want to be a mother or not. But I do not want.

I don't know a single smoker who quit because of the threat of cancer. Or who would even think about it. In my city, for example, even non-smokers have cancer - we have mines and there are a lot of “useful” metals in the air, there is no ecology. I'm talking about Norilsk\Talnakh.

I’m interested in something else - why do people smoke who may not smoke, huh? I had a bunch of friends like this - they drank, smoked a couple of packs and don’t smoke again for a long time. For what? For what? I can not understand.

The last time I smoked was about 6 years ago. Why did I smoke? Were different reasons, and the harm of smoking, was not the reason why I stopped. This is often not a reason to quit.

But there are several reasons why they start and continue. Social - in teenagers (usually they start smoking at this age), smoking is often perceived as a feature of adulthood, pathos, a challenge to parental control, or everyone smokes - and I will smoke (possibly social pressure). It continues because it turns into a habit, a ritual, a compulsion, an incorrect interpretation of the effect of a cigarette, and again a social circle in which most likely there are also smokers.

Detailed point by point.

Habit: For a smoker, a cigarette is often a way to occupy his mouth, hands, and pass time. At first, when I stopped smoking, there was an urgent need to hold something in my mouth or hands. Often for this reason, many quitters replace cigarettes with lollipops, e-Sigs or just eating (they often get carried away and gain weight).

Ritual: a typical option is to start the morning with coffee and a cigarette, drink - smoke, eat - smoke, %any activity% - smoke, smoke with colleagues in the smoking room during a smoke break, as a reason for social activity. Smokers love items that relate to smoking, all sorts of accessories such as lighters, ashtrays and other things. It’s difficult to just part with it, especially if such accessories are not cheap, they were given as a gift, or they have other value besides their direct purpose.

Compulsion ( obsessive action): a way to relieve tension that can arise for any reason, this also has something in common with rituals, usually if a person smokes, he has a very light form OCD. That is, a smoker may simply not be able to explain to himself or others why he smokes, simply by saying that he has a “craving.”

Smokers often believe that by smoking they can relieve stress, mistakenly thinking that cigarettes calm them down. Although just the action is calming, slow breathing is in the process, and a small part of it is depressing nervous system poisons in the smoke. But, this is all temporary, and as soon as the effect wears off, the tension increases again, and usually it is higher than if the person did not smoke. True, the smoker does not know about this, and lights another cigarette, maintaining a vicious circle. This is very similar to alcoholism, when a person drinks down his problems, but when sober, they do not become easier, especially with a hangover.

Lung health and oncology occupy one of the last places for smokers. I think that anti-tobacco campaigns are completely missing the mark when they try to tell smokers what they already know. As a result, this can cause additional stress and the desire to smoke another one. Signs about the prohibition of smoking and places in which smoking is prohibited cause the same effect for a smoker. In this case, they seem to find themselves in a danger zone, and are unable to perform their calming ritual if something happens.

Social: imagine that all your friends are smokers, and having invited you to smoke, you are left alone, waiting for everyone to smoke and discuss some topics with them. It’s good if there is someone else who doesn’t smoke, it won’t be so unpleasant and boring.

I'm not a theory person physical dependence, I believe that smoking is a purely psychological thing. Therefore, I bypass nicotine addiction.

Of course, everyone may have their own reasons, these are the ones that I had and those that smokers I know have.

I quit smoking at 16 years old.

Before that, I smoked for almost two years, and it all started with my environment. At the age of 13 I found myself in a company where everyone was a year or two older, some more. Common interests kept people together of different ages And social status, but as a formerly quiet home girl, I had a desire to be “like everyone else.” So, when I was 14, my 16-year-old friend helped me light my first cigarette. Oddly enough, they didn’t put pressure on me, and on the contrary, they discouraged me. I thought it was all bullshit, it’s so cool! However, at that time a pack of cigarettes lasted me a week, or even more. Two years later I quit because the new guy was against it. I resisted, but “feelings” overcame the habit.

But the desire to smoke did not disappear. I always liked the taste tobacco smoke. About once every six months I had small “breakdowns”. I had to hide, it was scary that no one would find out. After I came of age, breakdowns began to happen more often, and then I completely started smoking secretly. Closer to the age of 19, I began to smoke openly, fortunately, there was no one to prohibit it. I will soon turn 21 years old. On average I smoke 4 cigarettes a day. When my colleagues in the smoking room at work found out about this, they joyfully declared that I had nothing to do with quitting. But I can’t and, more importantly, I don’t want to give up the little joy of smoking. Morning - afternoon - evening - night, this is my necessary ritual. Long-term smokers find it even more difficult to give up their habitual actions.

I never thought about quitting because of the possible oncological diseases or something else that scares smokers. Drawings on packs cannot make a smoker quit, just like pseudo-coughing people on the streets, heart-to-heart conversations and other methods. Because no one cares what others say. You need personal motives to give up what you like and what is necessary. But most smokers really need a cigarette. When performing monotonous actions, such as inhaling and exhaling smoke, everything becomes automatic, and there is no need to think about the movements. Smoking helps you relax or concentrate, calm down or think about some issue.

Here I will talk about why do people smoke. Surely, among the most common reasons for smoking that I will outline, there will be those for which you also smoke.

But first, try asking yourself: “why do I smoke?” To answer this question, remember all those moments when the process of absorbing tobacco smoke gives the greatest pleasure, when it saves and helps you out. Saves from what? In what situations does it come in most handy?

Why do people start smoking? Main reasons for smoking

Let's try to get closer. These are, in my opinion, the most common psychological reasons for smoking.

Fight the cause and not the effect. Isn't this asking a lot from us?

Let's stop there. You probably already understand that I am going to propose a technique for correcting such personal characteristics as nervousness, the need to keep your hands busy, etc. Isn't all this a lot to simply eliminate one single habit? Is this not shooting sparrows with a howitzer? I just want to stop ruining my health with tobacco, and not change myself by rebuilding my personality, you say.

Let's try to figure out why insects have infested your apartment. It turns out that you have a mess everywhere, there is a lot of rubbish piled up everywhere, you tend to forget to put food in the refrigerator and it sits and spoils, there is a month-old sandwich lying behind the stove, from where you are too lazy to get it, you do not take out the garbage for a long time, as a result, it tends to accumulate around trash can in the kitchen and rot. Because of this, cockroaches perceive your home as their home where there is always food for them.

It is clear that harassment alone cannot do it, the apartment needs to be put in order and a thorough cleaning done. Maybe this is too much action just to evict the cockroaches? But by cleaning, you not only cope with the problem of nasty pests, you make the apartment cozy, it becomes more pleasant to live and work in, you are less depressed home furnishings, you rest much better when you don't live in clutter. It’s no longer a shame to bring guests, your home begins to smell good, the smell of rotten food has disappeared, and the mountains of unwashed dishes have disappeared. Plus, it's just more hygienic.

You not only eliminated cockroaches, you brought comfort to your home and made life in it more comfortable! And the insects are now unlikely to come back (provided that you continue to keep order), since you have eliminated the very reason for their appearance!

Same with smoking. Getting rid of the above-mentioned shortcomings will not only help you without special effort stop smoking like a locomotive, but it will also change you, make your life better, and you a happier and more balanced person. (If you still think that you cannot change yourself, then I recommend reading my article on) By trying to get rid of one particular problem, you are immediately solving in passing a whole range of problematic properties of your personality!

And when you eliminate the source of the addiction itself, giving up tobacco will no longer be difficult. And really, why do you need this when you know how to relax and you don’t need to fiddle with something in your hands to feel comfortable. Only by eliminating the very cause of the habit, you practically guarantee yourself that you will never smoke again and will not look for a replacement for smoking in new places. harmful hobbies(including uncontrolled gluttony - I haven't gained a single kilogram since I quit.)!

Why do many people believe in miraculous fashionable ways to quit cigarettes?

This is so obvious, but for some reason not everyone understands this and continues to use patches, chewing gum and think only about how to overcome physical symptoms addictive! Probably, the understanding of such a simple truth is hampered by human laziness and reluctance to work on oneself.

This is precisely what explains the demand for all sorts of “revolutionary” quick methods fight against nicotine addiction. My method of quitting cigarettes is very simple, but the object of its influence is not the nicotine addiction itself as such, but its cause! While many of the “progressive” ways to quit smoking are fighting the investigation with enviable stubbornness!

Of course, patches can be used, but only after you realize why you smoke and work on yourself! Just like baiting cockroaches will only be effective when you clean up all the mess. But I would still not recommend such withdrawal symptoms.

You must do everything yourself, without the help of any means., which replace nicotine, as this will give a good impetus to the development of willpower and control of one’s desires. When you go through this once, it will be easier to restrain yourself if you suddenly want to drag on. It strengthens you and disciplines you. I got by with just chewing gum (regular “orbit” without nicotine), but I don’t think there was a need for that either.

When we figured out the reasons for the habit, it’s time to tell you how to get rid of them. I will also touch on how to prepare yourself to quit cigarettes and how to best endure withdrawal symptoms.

Let's move on to the last part

Smoking is a harmful habit, the dangers of which everyone knows. To understand why people smoke, you need to understand: is it a physiological need of the body or a psychological addiction? In order to give a complete answer, it is necessary to delve into the reasons that prompt people to take their first puff.

Reasons why people start smoking

Stress, depressive state, boredom. The first time a person picks up a cigarette is because he succumbs to the general belief that nicotine is calming. After he smokes a cigarette, he gets the impression that he has become calmer and more balanced. Formed conditioned reflex: smoked a cigarette - calmed down. This illusion affects many people because people love simple solutions. In order to calm down it is easier to take a cigarette than to use it psychological techniques or enter a meditative state.
The desire to appear older. Young people want to appear older. A cigarette is a sign of an adult, independent person. Very often children copy their parents. If the family constantly smokes, the child perceives it as something ordinary. They don't see anything wrong with trying smoking.
Crowd effect. Man is a social being. Society has a strong influence on him. If a person is constantly in the company of people who smoke, then he begins to copy their behavior and picks up a cigarette. Quitting smoking in such conditions is very difficult. Teenagers start smoking because they do not want to be different from their peers, who believe that smoking is very fashionable and stylish.
Unmet oral needs for childhood. This version was proposed by the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. In his opinion, a person who became addicted to smoking did not receive infancy a sufficient amount of tactile sensations, maternal warmth, not enough suckling of the mother's breast. People who grew up with children are more likely to smoke artificial feeding. Dissatisfaction with the sucking reflex leads to people starting to smoke. By the way, Freud himself was an avid smoker. Perhaps he described himself in his theory?

Based on the reasons that motivate people to pick up a cigarette, we can conclude that psychological reasons play a major role here. They prevent a person from giving up this addiction. The physiological need for nicotine is minimal.

Reasons that prevent you from quitting smoking

Why do you want to smoke if you don't? physiological need body? Are psychological reasons really that strong? Unfortunately yes. What are these reasons:

The need for regular stimulation of the senses. A smoker needs something to do with his mouth and hands. If he is not busy with anything, he experiences severe discomfort. Largest quantity cigarettes are smoked out of boredom. For the same reason, people crack sunflower seeds, play mobile games, eat a lot, etc. By the way, when people quit smoking, they begin to replace this need with the above methods. One addiction gives way to another.
Inability to cope with stress. Every person experiences from time to time internal tension. The smoker chose the simplest and most easy way getting rid of it. Why look for other methods if there is a “magic cigarette” that will allow you to relax in a few minutes.
Stiffness in communication, increased anxiety, inability to carry on a conversation. A cigarette allows you to get closer to people, fill an awkward pause in a conversation, and reduce tension that could arise during communication.
Weak willpower. This is one of the main reasons why people continue to smoke. A person does not like to struggle with difficulties, make efforts, deprive himself of pleasure, etc. However, all smokers have the illusion that they can do it at any moment.
The belief that the harm of smoking is too exaggerated. Anti-tobacco propaganda has recently become too active, so the effect is the opposite. Many smokers believe that lung cancer and death in early age Any person can have it, regardless of whether he smokes or not. A very popular legend is about a grandfather who drank and smoked all his life, but lived to be 90 years old. As a rule, people with extensive smoking experience believe in its truth.

These are the main reasons why people smoke. They are all psychological. This means you need to work with your own personality. This work is yielding good results, and not only in the fight against smoking.

Why do people smoke and don't want to quit? Unfortunately, there is also a category of people who have a long history of smoking and do not plan to quit smoking. Perhaps this decision will come to them over time, or maybe never. You cannot force a person to quit smoking. If there is a desire, there will be a result. In this case, you can choose any method that allows you to quit smoking, and it will be effective. This could be electronic, reading a book, chewing gum, etc. Everyone chooses for themselves what they like.

There is another question that interests many people: “Why do people smoke hookah?” Is the effect of hookah smoke on the body different from cigarette smoke?

Reasons why people smoke hookah

Rich taste and pleasant aroma. This attracts many people, even those who do not smoke cigarettes.
Availability. Of course, compared to cigarettes, hookah is not as affordable, but you can smoke it in many cafes and bars. There are even special places, specializing in smoking hookahs. You can also buy a hookah for home and smoke it at sea, at home, etc.
A pleasant pastime, a reason to get together with friends. Simply watching a movie and sitting with a cup of tea is very boring and not relevant. But getting together and smoking a hookah is fashionable.
Diversity. Hookah allows you to combine the most different kinds tobacco Sometimes tobacco mixes turn out to be original and unexpected, which also arouses even greater interest among his fans.

Answering the question: “Why do people smoke hookah,” one can name all the reasons that were listed in relation to regular cigarettes. At the same time, hookah is not as addictive as a cigarette. Most likely because you won’t take it with you to work or public place to calm your nerves and smooth out awkward interactions. This is not only strange, but also very inconvenient.

Smoking is bad habit which many people have. Every year the number of these people increases. And this despite the fact that active anti-tobacco propaganda is being conducted. The reason for this is that in the fight against smoking, little attention is paid to the reasons why people smoke. By preventing each of them, it will be easier to deal with the consequences.

So why do people smoke? I repeat, this is my personal opinion, and it may easily not coincide with the opinions of recognized authorities in the fields of psychology, addiction medicine, sociology, astronomy, quantum mechanics and astrophysics. The first and most main reason The fact that a young, blossoming organism tries this poison, I think, is a desire to assert itself, to show yourself that you have already crawled out from under your mother’s skirt and become an adult. And at the same time, establish yourself in the group of peers around you. Simply put, show-offs.
So it was with your humble servant. As soon as I started to get out from under strict parental care, I immediately tried alcohol and cigarettes. I also tried soft drugs, weed, for example, but I didn’t like it, to be honest. Another thing is beer, vodka and cigarettes. You immediately feel much more confident among your peers, and most importantly, among your female peers, the mere sight of whom usually makes your heart skip a beat, your tongue become weak, and your stomach ache sweetly. He took a cigarette between his teeth and that was it, it was almost Bruce Willis. There’s nothing you smoke that you can’t take a puff on yet, it will come naturally later. A bad thing is not clever. There’s nothing that smells like smoke, and the parents at home don’t really believe your stories that it was “just someone smoking nearby.” All these are small things compared to the image.

The first stage on the path to addiction has been completed, you have started smoking. What's next? And then comes the most interesting part. Show-offs continue, as a rule, for several more years. Considering that, according to themselves heavy smokers, you start smoking at an age when “you don’t have a brain yet,” then until the age when “you already have a brain, but you can’t do anything,” several years pass and the habit becomes obsessive. There is nothing surprising here; nicotine is a drug like everything else that makes you feel good. It causes the release of adrenaline and slows down the utilization of the hormone dopamine, which is a stimulus to the pleasure center of the brain. Bliss? Yes. Light and short, but high. It’s okay that mild withdrawal will come soon, in about half an hour to an hour, it’s different for everyone.
By the way, the influx of adrenaline, as a result of which flows to the brain more blood, which in turn contains more glucose, plus a short “smoke break” is an excellent opportunity to calm your thoughts, “sort out” a certain problem, and find an answer to the current question that has arisen. Yes, even just to interrupt the tedious monotonous process of work and get distracted. Plus, for many, even the process itself brings pleasure, holding a beautiful fragrant paper stick and enjoying the aroma of good tobacco. And if also under the pile, yes with best friend, Mmm. Well, what could be better?
Hey, where are you going?! Let's go smoke! Well, okay, I’ll continue, I’m not drawn to it even after such memories. So, like any pleasant process, especially if this pleasantness is caused artificially, with the help of doping, it also has reverse side. Over time, a person becomes lethargic and irritable, the skin becomes decrepit, the teeth turn yellow, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and increased sweating. The pleasure that each puff gave at the beginning of my smoking career turned into a nasty taste in my mouth. You are already climbing the stairs, cursing everyone and everything, starting with Nikita Sergeich, under whom they built this barn without an elevator, if there is one, ending with the damned repairmen who could not fix it in time, if it is still present. It's external. And it's even worse inside. Many are vitally affected important organs, potency, psyche suffers... Well, in general, everyone knows about the dangers of smoking, that’s why they come, each in their own time, to the conclusion that “oh, I should quit.” But how? This is where the fun begins. And with it comes the second part of my story.

How to quit smoking? — What is a cigarette? — A stick with a light at one end and a suicide symbol at the other. How to quit smoking? So,...