Why do people smoke?

I get stressed but wouldn't touch a cig, but that's just me, plus I have mild asthma.

I still don't get it.
I've always said I will never touch a cigarette because I have an addictive personality, and get addicted to everything I touch! And then, it would most likely be the death of me.
However, I do understand peer pressure/wanting to be outside pubs/clubs with your mates who are smoking, so I can understand smoking one...but why would you go back to something that has such a bad potential for your health?
As for people who say they smoke because they're stressed, I have panic attacks and spend most of my time on- edge and get stressed and irritable quite easily...but I have to get on and deal with it! I get really annoyed when my sister says "I need a smoke, I'm nervous/stressed" or whatever, because what about all the rest of us??
Alcoholics and smokers get their stress relief...so what are people who value good health supposed to do? It's like there are people everywhere taking drugs of various forms and everyone who knows better has to suffer >.< .
(By the way if you're addicted- how did you LET yourself become addicted? And have you tried quitting? Why did you stop trying? I'm not saying it's easy or I'm an angel for not doing it.)

Edit: personality not personal.

Not to the extent that one fag gets you hooked for life. What id like to know, is why do people carry on this vile habbit after trying it a few times. I can vaguely remember. It just seems a distant memory and rather pointless now.

You will notice that one of their personalities is seduced by the illusions of grandeur - the gold packet of king size with a regal insignia, an attractive implication towards grandeur and wealth, the subtle suggestion that cigarettes are indeed your royal and loyal friends, and that, is a lie.

Their other personality is trying to draw your attention to the flip side of the discussion, written in boring bold black and white, it's a statement that these neat little soldiers of death and in fact trying to kill you and that, is the truth.

So why do we smoke? I smoke and cant figure it out.

man i don't know why in God's name people smoke. my grandfather smoked and he died of throat cancer. and my uncle smoked. he died of lung cancer. i saw my uncle in the hospital not long before he died. he was in pain. his legs ached. and all his legs were were skin and bone. not long after he died. not me and smoking, boy. no way.

Are you a RocknRolla?

You will notice that one of their personalities is seduced by the illusions of grandeur - the gold packet of king size with a regal insignia, an attractive implication towards grandeur and wealth, the subtle suggestion that cigarettes are indeed your royal and loyal friends, and that, is a lie.

Do you enjoy every single cigarette?

Not to the extent that one fag gets you hooked for life. What id like to know, is why do people carry on this vile habbit after trying it a few times. I can vaguely remember. It just seems a distant memory and rather pointless now.

enjoy it and dont seem to be addicted. i very regularly go for days without a fag when i dont have any on me and forget to pick some up...and even when i ahve em only smoke when i want to...about 2 to 3 daily although sometimes the desire never comes and i go all day without. generally, a pack of 20 silk cut lasts me for 2 weeks

i likie it that way.

This. but L+B all the way

never tried them. I used to smoke marlboro lights but i prefer the smooth, light taste of silk cut. I'd probably find l and b a bit harsh

As a fellow 'non addict', do you find that pretty much everyone thinks you're making it up when you say truthfully that you can pretty much give up at will and dont crave them?

when people get picky about it i just ask them ''what food do you like?''...when they answer i then say, assuming they answered ''salt and vinegar crisps'', ''do you ever crave sal and vinegar crisps?'' ''no'' ''could you live without them if i told you they were harming you?'' ''yes'' ''then stfu then ''

i think the ''addictiveness'' of cigarettes is almost purely psychological. my dad, a former 30-40 a day chain smoker, when given a pretty sudden ultimatum from my mother gave up that vbery weekend, cold turkey, never smoked since. anyone who says he ''must be doin it secretly'' has clearly never smelt a 40 a day chain smoker. i asked him how and he told me he knew he could do it and he, like me, noted that the majoirty of smokers, most of who find giving up or going without hard, persuade themselves and tell themselves it is going to be hard so they have already put a psychological barrier in front of them.

if you put the nhs adverts which tell you ''you need a 24 hour support team to give up or you will need to be sectioned blah blah'' aside and convince yourself that cigarettes will only take you over if you let em them it's actually very easy to just smoke on and off and only when u feel like it and not get in a tissy when you have to go without for a few days.

it is also a much more enjoyable and healthy way of smoking. nothing against ehavy smokers btw, sorry if i seem that way, i am just trying to show the sceptics who think anyone who ever looked at a fag is a victim of a weak psycholoigical state and needs to be put in therapy that they are wrong

Probably fixated on image and what others think of them, too.