Thoughts on Smoking

 

I just saw a report that says cigarette smoking among the American population has reached an all-time low. Only about 11 percent of Americans smoke cigarettes–defined as using a tobacco product within the past week. The high point on smoking’s popularity was the year 1965, when nearly half of all adults smoked. This interim period reveals a remarkable reversal of habit, social norms, and how different everyday activities used to be, when smoking was such a significant part of daily life.

Up until about 40 years ago, social situations often revolved around smoking. Bars and restaurants were often choked with cigarette smoke. People smoked in the workplace. Passengers smoked on airplanes. Smoking was prevalent in the movies (most celebrities smoked, including the heroes). Years ago, there were advertisements with doctors smoking, touting one particular brand over another. NFL quarterbacks even used to take “cigarette breaks” at halftime. Can you imagine such a thing today?

Here’s a 1965 photograph of Frank Sinatra relaxing in his living room. It’s funny on so many levels. But check out the giant bowl of smokes on the center table. Scooby doobie doo! Packs of cigarettes for everybody! Light up, all you people! Order anything you need. Have fun, you happy people, ‘cuz the laughs and the smoking’s on me! Now that’s hospitality!

What’s strange is — almost everyone I knew smoked when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s. Both of my parents smoked. In high school, most of the kids started smoking. There was even a “smoking lounge” in my school. The brand you smoked and even the way you held a cigarette was an expression of identity — as much as the make of car you drove or the brand of beer you drank. Marlboro and Virginia Slims may have both been brands of cigarettes, but they were favored by very different types of people.

I smoked for a short time. Admittedly, I really enjoyed it, but always knew how devastating smoking is for one’s health. Today, it repulses me. Like most people who value clean air, I don’t want to be around smoking.

What’s interesting about smoking and social norms is just how dramatic the generational shift has been in the last 50 years of so. We went from 48 percent smokers down to 11 percent. That’s a staggering decline, especially given the relative popularity of most other vices in society (drinking, drugs, gambling, sex, etc.). We’ve become a far more permissive, and a far more accepting society on most things, but smoking has been the one toxic outlier.

I’ll end with a funny short story. In late 1988, I was a student at the Foreign Service Institute. That was the diplomatic training center (then) based over in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, across the Potomac from the District. FSI leased a large office complex, which included all the language schools. The instructors were all foreign-born (native speakers), from all over the world. It seemed that every one of them was a heavy chain smoker. So, when FSI went “smoke free” about that time, the fallout was immediate and hostile. All these Middle Easterners, Asians, Eastern Europeans who smoked a pack a day at the school suddenly had to go *cold turkey* during government hours (9-5). The bitching about the new rule was heard everywhere. If they wanted to smoke, they had to step outside, which was in front of the building. So, the elevators were constantly funneling smokers back and forth. FSI’s lobby and main entrance turned into a smoking den. It was a bizarre sight, seeing a flood of people all jabbering in different dialects, puffing away, while the front door had so much smoke it looked like the building was on fire. Call it unintended consequences.

I’m glad smoking has faded in popularity. We could probably use something of a correction on alcohol use, as well–though I’m far beyond that guilty pleasure stage of enjoyment. Still, much like smoking, even with my personal biases I acknowledge we’d be better off as a society with less of it. That’s another discussion for another time, perhaps.

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