To say smoking does look cool?

[BeachOrPool]

Yes, I know inhaling thousands upon thousands of cancerous chemicals definitely isn't cool!

But there's something about some people lighting up a cig and looking into the distance that looks rather cool and 'suave' to me

I always picture having a deep conversation with a mysteriously handsome but dark horse of a person, looking far into the distance as they respond to my dilemma "That's life, Soph" or some other talk that included clever sayings that I can never think to use at the right moment.

It looks cool.

My executive assistant aunty use to look very classy sitting with her legs crossed and smoking a cig, whilst listening to my dilemmas
I just want to put it out there that I've never so much as taken a puff of a ciggy

It's a disgusting habit and anything but cool. I have no positive associations with it at all. It's such a selfish thing to do, given how it pollutes the air all around. My beloved uncle, who was a very heavy smoker, died of cancer in his 30s when I was a child and it turned his widow's and son's lives upside down. That was in the early 70s. It was already well established by then that smoking caused cancer. My uncle started smoking before that discovery was made. Nobody born since 1960 could have been unaware, though.

I agree, OP. I gave up a few years ago, but I still occasionally see people smoking in old films and think how cool they look.

I also think a smoker’s gravelly voice can be VERY sexy on men. Like Dominic West - phwoargh! The phlegmy cough, not so much. And on women the gravelly voice is not attractive. But on some men it’s lovely!

I also think the defiant attitude of smoking is cool. The devil-may-care disregard of the health dangers. It looks carefree and bold. Which is weird, because a health-anxiety forum I used to visit years ago was 100% smokers, all shitting themselves about cancer.

I can't think of many things that are less classy. You and everything around you smell of stale smoke and kissing a smoker is like kissing an old ashtray!

Yeah kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray.

Awful habit. And many smokers are selfish as hell and completely oblivious to how bad they smell. Like people who have dogs deny their house stinks of dog; smokers think when they have been out for a crafty drag, that they smell of honeysuckle when they come back in!

If I were to enter into a new relationship, it would be a dealbreaker for me if they smoked.

When I see a crowd of young people, and some are smoking and some are not, the non-smokers instantly look like the intelligent, sensible, well-educated ones. They also stand out as the ones with their own minds, and who are not easily lead.

Same with people with tattoos. The ones without them look like the sensible individuals with a mind of their own. Not the sheep who feel the need to follow everything the flock does!

As has been said, it's look far from 'cool,' it looks common.

@MsHarry >

Better than someone foul garlic breath. But then I hate garlic. People who eat garlic stink! It's a rank stench!

But it's 'good for you' so the usual stink/stench accusations don't count.

Classy!

Just Google 'cool manly man smoking' and the 'YANBU OP!' responses shall come flooding in

To answer a PP, my aunty now has cancer although it isn't smoking related (Hodgkin Lymphoma)

I know some really intelligent people who smoke but they still look daft doing it.

Its been a year next months since i quite. I miss it every day. Ive promised myself ill start again at 72.

He would taste like an ash tray whether he was gorgeous in other ways or not. He would stink and so would his clothes and fingers. Yuk!

Smoking is not helpful for the development of ANY cancer!

Are you by any chance the kind of person influenced by advertising?!

That would be everyone. I do laugh inwardly at people who claim not to be influenced by ads. No sir, not them!

I would.

YABU in the modern world. In the 1930's maybe it did, when people didn't know how bad it was for them.

Personally, I prefer to breath in fresh air, free of toxic chemicals, but then I'm a touch fussy

One of my worse memories of being a student nurse was looking after a man who was dying of lung cancer cos he'd smoked like a chimney. I saw some disgusting things in my career but the sight of that took some beating. I could describe it but don't want to knock you all sick.

The photos of cool, beautiful people are cool because of the person, the artful shot etc NOT the holding of the fag. Photoshop the fag out and the picture is the same.

With yellowing finger nails, excessive wrinkles/ skin damage and stinking of smoke.. it’s very difficult to look good whilst smoking.

I think young skinny edgy good looking people can look cool smoking. As do people in black and white arty movies. And up to around 10 years ago it sort of had a slight rebellious glamour. But it's gone now. Fashions change and now it looks sad and grimy. But I sort of see where the OP is coming from.

EachAndEveryone I am a month into giving up, finding it incredibly hard and love the idea of starting again when I’m old!

Yes it does LOOK cool, on the right person. The reality of it is less cool.
Having said that, I plan to celebrate if I reach 90 by smoking a shitload of all the smokeable substances and eating myself into a coma

Where I come from it's very...unfashionable. The cigarettes are usually accessories with sweat pants and grown out home bleached blonde. Definitely not cool.

I was always envious of how easily smokers made friends. First day of sixth form/uni and all they say is “got a light” and off they go together for a fag. Then they ask you and you have to say you don’t smoke so off they go with someone who does.

I nearly took up smoking for those easy friendships.

It's not cool. I lost a friend from smoking related lung cancer 2 weeks ago. It sucks.