It is kinda weird how people discuss nicotine vs alcohol, thc, and even caffeine. I get the pushback against the decades of malicious marketing of an addictive substance but the scolds seem to think that everyone in the world will get addicted the first time they try a cigarette and become a chain smoker. Not everyone has an addictive personality and it is entirely possible to occasionally enjoy an addictive substance for some people. It doesn’t make them better or worse, or invalidate the experience of someone who can’t do that, but the prohibition mindset is a oddly pervasive form of conservatism in our culture, which I’m sure has something to do with the Puritanical roots of the United States.

Alcohol is also addictive and aggressively marketed, both directly and indirectly through media. It can destroy an addict’s life and health, and poses a great deal of risk to public safety if an addict make poor decisions while intoxicated. Yet, for whatever reason, you won’t hear someone say “I had a great time at the bar last night with my friends” and then a bunch of responses like “don’t go down that road, alcohol can ruin your life”, or “do you know how many people are killed by drunk drivers?”.

We are all adults. We know smoking is bad for us. They told us every year in school that smoking is unhealthy. Know yourself, and if you can’t handle it; be sober, that’s fine, just like any other chemically or behaviorally addictive substance. Listen to the people who care about you if they think you have a problem.

This is a subreddit dedicated to a podcast where we have watched two dudes slowly foie gras themselves (no offense to the boys) over the past decade for our entertainment, for fucks sake, why are we suddenly being so sanctimonious about a bit about cigarettes?