I am a smoker (2 a day and no more). I realize that it may not make sense to people why others smoke .Personally I only smoke because it helps me sleep as I have trouble sleeping during the night and i readily fall asleep during the day I have tried many different techniques to remedy this and the only one that works for me is getting inebriated before I sleep it makes me wake up at around 5:30 bright eyed and bushy tailed . I smoke because it helps me sleep without loosing my liver or getting on the wrong side of the law . I cant take sleeping pills as they have a bad effect on me and cause me to be sick when i wake as well as muddling my mind for the next two or three days . In south Africa smoking laws keep people from smoking in indoor spaces with the exception of smoking areas in restaurants and private properties and advertising is banned . I grew up with a mother who smokes and a grandmother who smokes (My family lives together as a "clan" i guess) my father was a chain smoker but I only saw him occasionally throughout my life , the little research that i have done on smoking says that for each generation of successive smokers the child is as much as 10% more inclined to be a smoker (per generation) as it is (oddly) a gene that can be passed on through the parents and if both parents are smokers the child is likely to be more than 60% inclined to smoking . Putting this all into account the likelihood that I would not be a smoker is less than 25% . and unfortunately combined with my personality I ended up smoking. I have no regrets though and I believe that it does not define or even contribute , more than a little side note , to who I am as a person.
It has no effect on my health as i use a tobacco pipe (bong) to reduce the effects on my lungs and in fact as I have chronic sinus problems it keeps my nose clear and in good condition for use , I exercise regularly as well so that also helps keep me in check .