Despite the fact that a good half of the student body is hooked, I get pestered quite a bit with a single question: Why on Earth do you smoke?
It’s a hard habit to justify. As we’ve all heard since we were small, smoking causes 400,000 deaths each year in the United States. If you assume (like the federal government does) that every lung- or heart-related death in a home with a smoker is caused by secondhand smoke, that number jumps to nearly 500,000. That’s nearly 57 deaths an hour! And even if you’re spared death, smoking diminishes your lung capacity, yellows your teeth, offsets your digestive track, and invites all sorts of environmental and social criticism from those who are disposed to give it.
Yet nearly a third of Americans keep at it, lighting up every day, every hour, every time they go outside—including me.
Debating the facts is futile. There is, at this point, no denying that smoking is bad for you and that the little dopamine rush isn’t really worth it. It’s a cliché to say that we’re all going to die anyway and while not smoking might give you a longer life or a less painful death (though there’s no guarantee of that), it can’t be thought to make much difference. It’s going to be wretched for all of us in the end.
But really, none of these counter-arguments changes the facts. In a cost–benefit analysis, the non-smokers are always going to come out on top.
It’s difficult to justify because it is, by all modern lights, unjustifiable. However, in response to and on behalf of all those pestered by parents, peers, and strangers about their nicotine addiction, perhaps it can be explained.
This may sound a bit strange.
What smoking does for the smoker, as best I can tell, is to provide a known and constant want that can always be satisfied.
We all wake up, every day, with wants. We would like to pass an exam. We would like to get good news from that internship application. We would like to find we have enough money to eat well, to not run into that one kid, to have her call us just when there was nothing left to do. Some of what we’d like will come to be, but oftentimes it won’t. More frequently than we’d like, it’ll all fall through.
Smokers wake up, every day, and we would like to have a cigarette. It’s something that no matter what else pans out, we can reliably have. It’s a moment of comfort that, for all its vice, allows us to go through each day knowing that at least one thing will work out—and that is no small thing to know.
Of course, at this point the anti-smokers are enraged. “There’s nothing else you can want and have everyday?” they ask. “Something that won’t kill you, and me, too, if I stand too close?” And this is fair enough; indeed, if something else as addictive (and consequently satisfying) can be found that provides the same benefits, smokers everywhere might very well be open to it.
This isn’t a justification, after all. And it should vindicate those who always want an explanation of why smokers smoke, only to hear the concession that there is none to be had. But we persist all the same, and perhaps that is what is so infuriating about it. One could point to general irrationality, stubborn belief in immortality, or any number of larger ideas to try to explain the phenomenon. At present, the best that can be done is to provide some sort of illumination, something by way of explanation.
That being said, I suppose I’ll have to quit, one of these days.
Emmett Rensin is a first-year in the College.
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Discussion
SARAH H.
April 15th 2009 at 09:33 PM
Reading this just wasted 30 seconds of my life. Thanks, Emmett.
DJ TOUCH CATS
April 16th 2009 at 05:04 PM
Your figures are just wrong; this article (letter) was poorly researched.
~43 million adults in the US are current smokers as of 2007. This is ~19-20% of the adult population (i.e., people>17 years of age). When you include all US citizens (i.e., those <18 years of age as well), the percentage of people who currently smoke falls to ~13-14% of the total population. Neither of these statistics is anywhere close to your claim that "nearly [33%] of Americans" continue to smoke on a regular basis. Not even close.
The central argument of your article, translated, essentially is: smokers are addicted; by smoking, they satisfy their addiction. This satisfying act is a good thing, particularly because it can be reliably satisfied.
This ignores the fact that the satisfaction is far inferior to the other utilities that would be available if the cycle of nicottine addiction were broken. In other words, the argument is the equivalent of saying 'in an originally self-imposed--but subsequently externally enforced--state of imprisonment, I am able to get pleasure from my 1-hour daily outside exercise period. Therefore, this state of imprisonment is a good thing--particularly since I get to exercise on a reliable daily basis."
Yes, it is good that you get that pleasure from exercise. But only without the greater context that you're living your life in a prison.
One additional points: I'm always amused at the extent to which young smokers (a group to which the author of this piece clearly belongs) think that they can 'just quit' or will be able to 'quit one day.' It only takes a few months of smoking to build up a real addiction to the stuff. No, the fact that you can extend your periods between smoking, or tie the smoking to e.g., social activity, doesn't mean you're any less addicted.
When 'quitting time' comes, for many smokers, unfortunately, they never actually succeed in the project.
EMMETT RENSIN
April 19th 2009 at 12:38 AM
I thought I'd respond to some of this - at least the more thought-out response from "DJ Touch Cats". The well-wishes received from Paul don't seem to merit a response, and I wouldn't want to waste anymore of Sarah's time. Though I am impressed she can read about 20 words a second.
Mr. Cats,
Research for this article, in terms of statistics, came from both the Mayo Clinic and the Center for Disease Control. The higher number is from the Mayo Clinic, which puts the smoking population at 29% - i.e., "nearly a third". The CDC sets it slightly lower - at 22%, though that is still much higher than your 13%. Where does that number come from? Since you say my article is "poorly researched", I'm curious where you're looking that would allow me to meet your expectations in the future!
As to your second point - in essence, you have nailed my point with one major error. You set up your characterization of my point AS IF I were claiming that smoking is a good thing, in which case (as I point out in the editorial, more than once) I would have a difficult time winning the argument. But that's not what I believe, nor is it what I wrote. What I'm doing is attempting to illuminate WHY people who do smoke do (other than, you know, they're addicted), not whether or not its a a positive thing.
That being said, your prison analogy is a little bit off since one could enjoy exercise outside of a prison, whereas one only enjoys smoking by smoking. But that's beside the point.
As to quitting - you're absolutely right. I'll be the first to admit that every attempt I've made to quit has been unsuccessful, though I am at it again and having a much easier time. Perhaps it'll last.
ELIZABETH
April 19th 2009 at 12:22 PM
For a known and constant want that can always be satisfied, try sex. If you don't have a partner, go solo.
As far as I know the condom/lube industry does not donate millions of dollars to Republican coffers and does not directly work to addict children and adults in in poor nations around the world.
Besides, aren't orgasms more fun?
MF
April 19th 2009 at 11:27 PM
Smoking reduces your IQ...
I'm a smoker, but this is what finally lead me to start trying to quit. Not really a big deal if I die at 60, but being smart is key.
MICK D
April 20th 2009 at 11:07 AM
Dj Touch Cats, and many others - including my own dear wife - are stuck in the world of good/bad. righ/wrong, up/down... there is a whole world of duality, where almost every position is defined by it's other, usually opposite side. I find this extremely interesting how we are so programmed to think this way - what the tip off was in Mr Cats response was exactly as Emmett pointed out --> Mr Cats assumed, by virtue of his way of thinking about things [good/bad, right/wrong JUSTIFY/NOT JUSTFY...] that Emmett was trying to rationalize or justify smoking. In fact almost the opposite is true. The writer clearly states that smoking is one of those things that does not make sense within the box of normal thought --- so h1e goes OUTSIDE OF THE BOX and offere some other ideas that are not about the USUAL ARGUMENT, but I will bet many ppl who read this, couldn't even see it that way, cause they are so conditioned. Here is an example: Last week I went to an artopening. It was fairly lame. It also took place in a bad part of town, so I didn't even think twice about stepping out front in the doorway and smoking a joint with some ppl - to tey to make tha art more interesting...! My wife is not a pot smoker, never was at all... so she has a whole different slant on the whole thing. She tore me a new one the next day regarding how stupid it was to stand publically on the street and do that. She had a myriad of RIGHT reasons why I f#*ed up. Granted. In our argument about it the next day, she would give me NO SPCE to present my point of view, wven though I agreed that I broke the law, was likely careless, and probably didn't show good judgement --- and so what? I steill had a point of view that I felt I had a right to express in the argument - even though I admitted all of her points! What I am saying is she was so caught up in the whole right/worng, good/ bad.... that she couldn't even fathom there was anything else to the situation - like my thoughts... WTF you know? I just find it interesting in a psychological kind of way.
MICK D
April 20th 2009 at 11:10 AM
Hey pardon all the spelling and typing errors in my other post. I went right to the 'authentication code' part of the process without going back and proofing. Sorry y'all!
Mick d
MICHAEL
April 20th 2009 at 02:20 PM
I feel that you are simply illuminating the effects of addiction, rather than some (ir)rationale for smoking. The addiction presupposes the want. The desire for reliability derives from the addiction. By its very nature, it creates a want that needs to be fulfilled, to great nicotine-induced satisfaction, on a daily basis. There are other things that reliably satisfy people's wants, such as sleep at the end of the day (except for those insomniacs).
Smoking creates a new want that HAS to be reliably fulfilled. (Also, is it not frustrating being physiologically forced to satisfy it? What IS reliable is that want, that craving, that incessant murmur of addiction.) You did say, however, that it wasn't exactly justifiable. Can it truly be that satisfactory to fulfill that want? As a nonsmoker, I can't comment, but does fulfilling a want that you know is detrimental to your health, and is decried by a majority, THAT satisfying?
EMMETT RENSIN
April 21st 2009 at 07:38 PM
Michael - I thought I'd try to address your question to the best of my ability.
You're right that it does CREATE that want, but that could be said of any number of non-addictive pleasure sources as well. Its almost a cliche to point out that one becomes quickly conditioned to what we've been able to acquire, and that a lust for more (of the same, or of something different) is insatiable.
As to how it could be that satisfying despite being detrimental / socially unacceptable. The social aspect is essentially irrelevant - it isn't that unacceptable, especially outside of more lofty circles of society. And except for the most sensitive, it is tolerated (or not minded at all) by most in a way that something truly unacceptable (e.g. heroin addiction, chronic alcoholism) isn't.
As for the health risks, yes, they exist. And I think it's difficult for nonsmokers to understand that the habit is anything BUT disgusting and "bad", that is, they find it difficult to acknowledge that some pleasure is taken. But trust me that it is, and that being a given, it doesn't seem that unreasonable to trade years of life for various comforts. To claim that nonsmokers (or really, that smoking is the only thing which allows you to) DON'T routinely sacrifice their potential health/safety for things that will make the life they live more satisfying would be absurd. If the rational goal was really to secure as many years as possible, I would suggest moving out of the city (for safety and air-quality reasons), not riding in cars, severely restrict your diet, and any number of other obvious things that kill millions of people each year. Of course, you may say these things aren't "guaranteed" to kill you like smoking is (motorcycle fatalities PER number of people using them is actually higher), or that they provide a convenience outside the satisfaction of placating an addiction itself but certainly serial thrill-seekers, gun aficionados, and racing enthusiasts suffer the same problem.
Again, not a justification, but I don't think you can very well single smoking out as the one way that people trade years for pleasure.
SEAN
April 25th 2009 at 07:04 PM
For any non-smoker who maintains that smoking simply creates the want by nature of its addictiveness, I simply have to say this is not true. I grew up very anti-smoking; my father quit when he got cancer, and my uncle died of lung cancer. But by the end of high school, it was incredibly difficult not to smoke. I had never smoked before, and spent a couple months painfully fighting the urge, but the urge was still there. I wanted to smoke. It looked cool, it looked fun. Maybe I've been brainwashed by old-time movies or have a genetic predisposition or whatever, it doesn't matter. It's more complicated than simply "the nicotine creates the addiction" - for me at least, the nicotine is the easy part to break out of. I've repeatedly quit for months at a time. But what always gets back to me is, I'll watch a movie and people will be smoking, and I'll just think "Man, that looks so cool. I want a cigarette." It's a difficult thing to refuse something that you want on more levels than just simply satisfying a nic fit craving.
WHAT
April 30th 2009 at 12:24 AM
Please work hard, pay taxes, and smoke hard! More social security for the rest of us!