Anecdotally, I've known a few people who claimed to use cocaine and even heroin occasionally, and I don't have any reason to think they were addicts in the sens

Anecdotally, I've known a few people who claimed to use cocaine and even heroin occasionally, and I don't have any reason to think they were addicts in the sense that they were compelled to use it. Indeed, at least for snorted cocaine, the most common reaction I've heard from first time users is basically "what's the big deal?" - aka the effects just weren't as intense as expected based on the reputation. Meanwhile, I've only met one person who has been able to use cigarettes occasionally (a few times a year). Everyone else has been at at least a daily smoker, and while I know quite a few people who have successfully quit, it's almost always been a rough experience with multiple attempts required before succeeding. If cocaine and heroin were legal and cheap, I'd probably be more concerned if a friend took up smoking than either of them. Conversely, if cigarettes were illegal, I'd be really concerned if a friend took up smoking.