So you smoke.
Did your parents smoke? What about your grandparents?
Did you start smoking when you were a teenager or is this something of a more recent habit?
Many people who smoke are following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, and some pick up the habit during their teen years when maybe they thought it would be “cool” (or whatever term you might use). Others perhaps begin smoking when they’re on their own as a sign of their independence from their parents.
Whatever your history with smoking and however long you’ve been doing it, you certainly are not alone in this habit. And despite what you might think, smoking is nothing new to the world. It was not invented by Americans and was not made up during the twentieth century. No doubt the practice became popularized by television and movies, but actually smoking itself has been around for centuries. This includes not just the practice of rolling tobacco and other products into paper but also includes the use of pipes in order to inhale smoke from burning leaves.
With so much information available today about the dangers of smoking, you might wonder why so many people still do it and why so many start every single year. Yes, everything in the world is a risk; you can slip in the shower or get into a car accident and suffer serious consequences, but these are necessary activitieswith a calculated risk. Smoking is not necessary and the risks are numerous and serious, so why start?
Understanding the history of smoking might help you to understand why it’s such a common habit despite the fact that many people know the health risks and costs. Many customs and habits become very ingrained and part of a person’s culture, lifestyle, or family arrangement so of course it’s virtually impossible to let them go, no matter what. Ask yourself how easily you could give up Christmas or another holiday you love? These things were no doubt part of your life growing up and you see other people celebrating these holidays all around you, so it’s just natural that you would engage in these as well. So it is with smoking – others do it, you’ve observed smoking in movies, you thought it looked cool, and so on.
Being aware of how this practice is so engrained in one’s culture can help to understand why it’s so difficult to give up.
