The biggest thing I miss about smoking myself and smoking being common and prevalent in general is the social aspect (you immediately both have at least one thing in common and 5 minutes of free captive time with each other)
Stepping outside for a smoke on the job, at parties, while out running errands, in foreign countries as a tourist, to kill time outside an appointment waiting room, etc. was a guaranteed way to strike up an unexpected conversation with all manners of characters from all walks and levels of life that I wouldn't have had the chance (or courage or social skills I suppose) to do otherwise.
Some of the most entertaining or thought provoking conversations with strangers in my life have been a result of this. Approaching random people busy with their random lives outside of a smoking area feels intimidating and often doesn't seem to have the same result (which makes sense- someone smoking is actively not busy)
And in the office, it always felt to me like the smoking areas were the only place you could get real, no bullshit answers from people across teams/divisions "off the record" about actual deadlines/timelines etc.
I've heard people say something to the effect of, just go hang out in a smoke spot and don't actually smoke to get the same perks but as an ex-smoker if I saw a non-smoker doing this I would definitely feel a bit weird about it / less open towards them.
It’s a waste of your time, money, and mental energy with potential negative health effects, that does little to nothing for you except give you something else to worry about instead of the other thing you’d worry about.
To say that nicotine is a waste of time ignores that it is used by many people to regulate emotions. Of course no doctor would have prescribed cigarettes. Now with less cancerous options, I can see it happening. The article simply ignores this.
The biggest thing I miss about smoking myself and smoking being common and prevalent in general is the social aspect (you immediately both have at least one thing in common and 5 minutes of free captive time with each other)
Stepping outside for a smoke on the job, at parties, while out running errands, in foreign countries as a tourist, to kill time outside an appointment waiting room, etc. was a guaranteed way to strike up an unexpected conversation with all manners of characters from all walks and levels of life that I wouldn't have had the chance (or courage or social skills I suppose) to do otherwise.
Some of the most entertaining or thought provoking conversations with strangers in my life have been a result of this. Approaching random people busy with their random lives outside of a smoking area feels intimidating and often doesn't seem to have the same result (which makes sense- someone smoking is actively not busy)
And in the office, it always felt to me like the smoking areas were the only place you could get real, no bullshit answers from people across teams/divisions "off the record" about actual deadlines/timelines etc.
I've heard people say something to the effect of, just go hang out in a smoke spot and don't actually smoke to get the same perks but as an ex-smoker if I saw a non-smoker doing this I would definitely feel a bit weird about it / less open towards them.
I feel this article should have addressed the increased cancer risk of smokeless tabaco products.
I went and looked for myself and it appears the jury is still out on the risks of Zyn, etc
https://www.healthline.com/health/quit-smoking/does-zyn-caus...
https://archive.ph/iNy98
It’s a waste of your time, money, and mental energy with potential negative health effects, that does little to nothing for you except give you something else to worry about instead of the other thing you’d worry about.
To say that nicotine is a waste of time ignores that it is used by many people to regulate emotions. Of course no doctor would have prescribed cigarettes. Now with less cancerous options, I can see it happening. The article simply ignores this.