I love smoking. There, I said it. It feels dirty just to admit this love affair so many people no longer defend. Despite the well-known health risks and the growing social stigma, my appreciation for the ritual, the taste, and the experience remains strong. For many, smoking is just a harmful habit, but for me, it’s also a deeply personal and almost spiritual act—an indulgence in the themes of relaxation, tradition, and even rebellion.
The cigarette is a finger of the devil, but it’s also a finger of solace.— Charles Bukowski
The act of smoking—whether a cigarette or my Dad's hand-me-down pipe—is more than just inhaling tobacco. It’s a ritual that slows down time, a moment of calm in a hectic world. The scent of tobacco, the crackle of a pipe, and the act of lighting up become a form of meditation. As the writer Jack Kerouac once said, “The only truth is music and love, and the only truth in music and love is the moment.” For me, smoking embodies that moment—an act that roots me in the present. I have felt that a cigarette is a measure of time.
I smoke because I enjoy the ritual. It’s a moment of calm, a little rebellion, and a cultural tradition all in one.— Unknown
Few would begrudge a man his last cigarette before he faced a firing squad. And I would say that few minutes of smoking would traverse a precious snapshot of thoughts. So a cigarette is a metric of time! Thirty years ago, a friend and I had a "spontaneity theme" going, and once we drove 26 hours just to have a cigarette at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco! Without the cigarette, we likely wouldn't have had the temerity to carry onwards, the trip wouldn't have had an objective. Nobody would go to San Francisco without spending time enjoying other elements of the city, not the simple cigarette on the bridge was the only reason we went at all. But for want of a nail... the battle was lost*
*For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost; for want of a rider, the battle was lost...
Cost used to be a major barrier, especially in Canada where a pack of cigarettes can cost up to $21. But now, with the legal availability of Native Cigarettes at a quarter of the price, money is no longer a reason to stop. It’s almost like a return to an earlier time—when smoking was more accessible, more routine. The affordability makes it feel less like a vice and more like a part of daily life, a tradition that’s hard to give up.
Sometimes the best way to handle life is to light a cigarette and just breathe.—Anonymous
Some might argue that smoking is unhealthy, and they’re right—there’s no denying the risks. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year worldwide. Yet, for many, the act of smoking remains an expression of identity, a connection to culture or history, and an act of personal pleasure. It’s a small exercise against the sanitized, health-obsessed world we live in. I don't think, due to our need for kosher thoughts, that I have heard anyone exclaim that they absolutely love smoking. Instead, it is an addiction or an Achilles Heel, or coffin nails or a senseless task.
I know some people do enjoy smoking but it is far more socially acceptable to deny the enjoyment and lean on the fact that it's a crutch. I interject, too, that since we became a "Zoom-generation", I felt awkward smoking while I was in a virtual online meeting. But what is offensive if I am smoking a thousand miles away, in my own room? Is the mere act of seeing someone smoking no longer acceptable? Must I refrain from all manner of enjoyment to keep other people happy? No, I refuse to bow to the unseen forces.
Cigarettes are the perfect accessory for a moment of reflection.— Unknown
In a world increasingly driven by convenience and materialism, my love for smoking is a quiet act of defiance—a moment to savor, to reflect, and to enjoy life’s small pleasures. While the health risks are real, so is the undeniable fact that for many of us, smoking is more than just a habit; it’s a theme, a ritual, an unspoken love affair with the simple act of lighting up. Society has never been a great way to find out what is an individual preference, other people's views on smoking don't play into my romance with smoking.
