Why do people smoke cigarettes?

[vieirinho]

This was an interesting read.
Project1999 off topic posts are the only reason I keep coming back.

I had my first puff at around 8 or 9, by 12 it was a daily occurrence.
Currently I smoke around 10-15 cigarettes a day.
I'll estimate that I've smoked over 60,000 cigarettes in my life.
I am not saying this is a good thing, but the ill effects vary from person to person.

I play soccer in a mens league, majority of my teammates are long time smokers.
In the last 10 years we won our division 9 times, and were league champions 7 times.
(8-10 teams per division, 4 divisions incase someone was wondering)

I have a bronze medallion in swimming,
I can carry a dead weight adult in my arms while swimming on my back for 2 hours(never tried more)
and tread water for 5+ hours, which I know isnt very hard.
I live in a condo with an average sized pool, I do multiple laps underwater without keeling over.

Someone mentioned wrinkled/leathery skin..
I am 29, and I still get ID'd. I'm Canadian too, legal age is 19.

I dont condone smoking, but generalizing an entire population of smokers is extremely stupid.
I do know people who have died of lung cancer before they were 60.
But there are also people who never get it, My grandmother smoked for 79 years and died of old age at 93.
My father has been smoking for 53 years and still plays soccer with me at family outings and is in good health.

When it comes to poor people being addicted to cigarettes, I agree, it is stupid to balance your lively hood around a flaming stick of leaves.
But, I assume we're all adults here, and if $5 is a strain on your wallet, you need to get your priorities in check.

I see a lot of generalizations in forums.. stop being douche bags. Not everyone is exactly the same.