Why do young adults want to start smoking

[Cozc]

It’s a bloody disgusting habit. Average cost of cigs is £15.70. Cheapest are £12.50, based on what cousin who works in a supermarket told me.

You don't know him so you can't accurately comment on his personality.

We have older teens, they say none of their friends smoke, but that they ( my kids) are in the minority in that they don’t vape. They recon 60% of their year group vape which is a quite terrifying when long term consequences are not known.

@Amanitacae I agree with the benefits of the social smoking or smoking break. When the ban came in my favourite part was the random chats with strangers outside. It was a break from the norms of a social group, for others like you it was a chance to stand alone and just be.

I had a work friend who realised when she gave up that it was the structured breaks that she missed more than cigarettes so she went back on smoking breaks just didn't smoke. this was years ago when smoking breaks were a thing. She argued that standing and breathing deeply without the nicotine gave almost the same feeling of relaxation and made the case that people should have 5 min breaks to just stand and breathe.

I mean the government are sorting it, the Tobacco and Vapes bill has almost passed it will ban advertising of vapes to young people, the colours, videos etc and will make them more like cigarette packing, bland etc. Plus with the age restrictions over decades companies will just produce less in the UK because only those born before 2009 will be able to buy, so it will hopefully make them produce less because they'll make less and less money as more people get older and then it's less profitable. I don't really know what much else you can do other than education that it's not a good choice to make for your health. I don't see any other legislation that could do anything about it. Sadly, children are vaping from primary school thinking there's nothing wrong with it or even some parents who buy their children vapes when they would have never started smoking. I mean schools are doing their best to try and confiscate them, but they can only control what happens on school grounds.

Because it's legal. No disincentives apart from price. Cheaper than drinking alcohol. Using rollies for weed. Rebels.

But I still think it's a minority (but it could be growing a bit) that smoke now, vaping being the thing.

As far as it goes, I'll take vaping any day, at least there's little lingering odour, fewer yellow teeth and fingers, no discarded butts and packets.

But to me, the main thing is that it's legal and freely available.

Food for thought! Might start giving myself non smoking smoking breaks. I can remember the benefit that the headspace gave me.

There are non-nicotine 'flavoured air' breathing devices that I've considered too (but they are a bit pricy given that I quit years, ago and therefore have no savings to make in the same way I would if I was quitting). However they do look like a possibly enjoyable way to focus on short intervals of deep breathing.

I agree completely about the random conversations outside during a smoking break. It was a nice no-pressure way to meet people. Max of 5 mins. Loved that.

I think it's in New Zealand that they are currently raising the legal age of buying cigarettes up each year. So no new generation of 18 year olds will ever be able to buy them.
The UK government could do that.

They have the Tobacco and Vapes Bill inspired by NZ is almost passed, it will ban cigarettes from anyone born before 2009 so that eventually very little people can buy then and cigarette companies will produce less. Which I think is a good idea as the onus is on the companies not on people. It will also ban advertising of vapes to children, and change packing to more white packaging and less colours and attractive flavours.

There are a significant amount of young people who have taken up smoking, many of DN’s friends group smoke and they’re all under 18!

Exactly!

Why do people smoke?
Why do people drink?
Why do people do drugs?
Why do people eat junk food?