Yes, some people need to get into a car to get to work. Work is a significant part of a fulfilling life. Driving allows you to visit places, see family, maintain a hobby.

Smoking has some utility, in that it feels good by delivering nicotine. It also has great downsides, like cancer and heart disease risk.

What I'm saying is the two aren't without risk, but one is a clearly more sensible option than the other (you brought up the example of cars).

>Yes, some people need to get into a car to get to work....

Can't take a Bus?

>Driving allows you to visit places, see family, maintain a hobby.

Can't take a bus?

I wasn't taking about the driving where you are the only passenger anyway....

>What I'm saying is the two aren't without risk, but one is a clearly more sensible option than the other (you brought up the example of cars).

And. You say smoking has some great downsides. Have you spent some time in a traffic jam or red signal, where you are surrounded by exhaust from other vehicles. In some countries you might have a truck or bus with your exhaust directly in your face or open window....

So, one is not "clearly more sensible option", But one sure is more socially acceptable. Surprise surprise!

Some people live in rural areas or sparsely populated areas, so yeah, they can't take a bus.

I knew I wanted to become a programmer after being a temp nobody working at a tech company and shooting the shit with the smoking programmers who were relegated to the garden outside to smoke at the top of every other hour. I learned more from the programmers who worked on the floor above me than I did from my own coworkers and the salesbros across the room. I was able to get months of conversation in and learn about programming's ins and outs. Smoking has a lot of upside for me, at the least, in the form of a social tool. But there may be other better ways to facilitate that. Smoking as a social facilitator goes back thousands of years. I think the advent of puritanism has demonized it because of health concerns. But who cares, really? We're all heading to the grave anyway. May as well facilitate it with a buzz no different than a cup of coffee. Swedes have Fika, why can't we have our smoking circle?