I've always thought of smoking as a tradeoff: Pros: * Bumming/offering a cigarette is a low-key entrance into social groups, which is a big deal for people wi

I've always thought of smoking as a tradeoff: Pros: * Bumming/offering a cigarette is a low-key entrance into social groups, which is a big deal for people with social anxiety like me. * Productivity: nicotine is absolutely the most effective nootripic I've found, and doesn't seem to lose this effect with time like coffee. Cons: * Health: even just nicotine from the patch is associated with heart and vascular issues--other methods of administration have worse effects (snuff seems to be actually the worst, as mouth cancer sets in faster/earlier than lung/throat cancer does from smoking, with similar mortality rates). * Cost. * Addiction. The tradeoff never seemed worth it to me so I've never smoked beyond a cigarette/cigar here and there, but I can totally see why people do it.