Until they made the nicotine taste like Monster Energy drinks, anyway. Don't look at zyns.

Former smoker here: I don't understand the hype around quitting and why people act like it's so addictive and start buying nicotine patches.

It's not like you wake up at night because you need a smoke. I once read that caffeine is more addictive than nicotine. You get a headache for a day or so and then you're done with it.

Yes, smoking is a strong habit, but that's it. Stop pretending and just quit if you want to. Your body is not craving it, your mind is.

Forever is a pretty long time. Can't say I've ever heard anyone make a bold statement like that.

‘My experience is the only possible experience.’

Your body is not craving it, your mind is.

I mean...yeah, but that's really underselling how much mind can controll the body.

Sadly I have to live with my mind. And evem if I’ve never woken up at night because of tobacco I have stayed awake because of it.

Meh, where I live few people smoke, but I still see people that smoke every other day. There's still cig butts everywhere. I was hiking in the forest and this dude walking his dog was smoking, I saw him flick his butt right into the nature he was enjoying. And the number of people vaping is huge, even very young folk who walk around with vapes.

I was in France recently and everyone smoked there, it was like going back in time 20 years. Ashtrays everywhere, everything stank and people were chain smoking non stop.

Just because something has gotten less popular locally, doesn't mean an entire generation has given it up. It's just a fad not to smoke cigarettes right now, a fad that might change in the future, given how addictive it is.

They replaced smoking with vaping and other ROAs. I'm pretty sure the past decade+, % of teens addicted to nicotine would be far greater than teen smokers in the 90s.

I'm in my mid 40s and I'm constantly bombarded with Vaping PSA ads on Reddit. I don't vape.

i'm gen z and like 80% of my friends smoke and ~95% vape

Ohhhh it is just the mind!! Guys, I think we found the solution. Here we are, thinking smoking is a physical addiction, then comes this guy along and just solves the problem.

I'm a millennial and went from all my friends smoked to everyone quit smoking to now everyone smokes. About 90% of gils i met on tinder in tge past 5 years smoked. Someone asked me why i didn't filter out smokers. Well, not really a whole lot left tbh.

It's not like you wake up at night because you need a smoke.

You are describing something millions of people have gone through

An entire generation has not rejected smoking.

This is not entirely correct for reasons already cited, but I'll add this:

Government and healthcare providers have been driving anti-smoking campaigns for a looong time to the point that all cigarette packages are now olive green with gigantic content warnings and pictures of dead babies, and are prohibitively expensive. Also you won't get some medical treatment if you admit that you smoke or, to a lesser degree, ingest nicotine in other ways.

It's a bit short-sighted to say that the generations that grow up in this athmosphere performed an "insane feat of strength" instead of just growing up in a reality that makes it much harder to fall for cigarettes/nicotine.

Ya but what pisses me off is that vaping ≠ nicotine. Secondhand vapour is far less of a problem than secondhand tobacco smoke, and that's before factoring in nicotine-free flavours. Banning it everywhere in the same thread as cigarettes is ridiculous and shouldn't be respected.

Ya i didn't quit smoking because of hygiene or health reasons, I quit because I was told it would impede the effects of feminising HRT. If i wasn't a girl I would be smoking rn

It's not exactly olive green IIRC, but some other shade that is scientifically proven to be one of the most disgusting colors to the average person

It solved the problem for me, so I wanted to share. Didn't think it would be so controversial.

Ok... But most people aren't vaping non-nicotine juice. You're technically correct that it exists, but who cares? That's not the issue, the issue is that it has hooked a new generation of smokers.

Source? Because no way that can be true

That’s a cute little n=1 anecdote you’ve got there

Absolutely meaningless in terms of data, but still just absolutely adorable that you think it’s relevant. Do you feel the need to tell us any other stories?

It is because you are downplaying the mental addiction and how hard it is for most people to quit smoking. Studies show that most people trying to quit aren't successful, and you are basically saying it's because they are just weak.

n=1 makes this an anecdote of personal experience. So ya know - not relevant

Do you think there’s nicotine in Monster Energy?

It's my own estimation.

Lol at least here they are all smoking again. Or vaping, in vanilla-strawberry flavor with vapes that can be recharged but not refilled and are then discarded

Girlboss

Same in Germany. People don't even seem to realise the dangers of it, or how they're harming others. They just think it's their "right" and the government agrees.

On the tram today there was a woman at the door who lit her cigarette even before the door was open. Her friend had to take it off her. Not addictive my foot.

We're at a bar not a science symposium.

Loads of people have given up smoking through sheer willpower. Some people just didn't start smoking straight away in the morning, so the giving up isn't a big deal to them.

Following a couple of years starting from those COVID days sitting for a morning smoke on the balcony, I gave up smoking by vaping, and gave up vaping via a change in scenery, change in routine and you know, just by being on holiday. At least two times.

When I got back, I got whacked by what I call triggers...a huge number of them nearly every hour. Previously I gave in to these, but I've learned the stupid way that nicotine psychology is madly powerful, and once you start to recognise you're just getting triggered for the hundredth time, you just get on with it.

Nicotine is pretty demonic when you think about it.

Skill issue

It's a pretty standard type of military green.

But yeah, they probably did a totally insane amount of research on that.

PS: I used to joke about collecting the different messages and pictures like football cards. The website this pic is from seems to be doing it in earnest...

Insufferable twattery issue.

I quit smoking July 19, 2026 and drinking Feb 14, 2017. My opinion is addictive habits aren't going anywhere. That the struggles over addiction of past generations will mirror the struggles of future generations.

With that said, I think some things are changing:

• smoking is pretty stigmatized in more cultures
• drunkenness is unglamorous and may be posted to social media
• MH occupies more space in the public consciousness

Most importantly, it's profitable to sell addiction. As long as that's not changing, and it doesn't seem to be, we we always bear this burden.

sybau

What’s honestly wrong with you?

You're being rude. In this thread you're responding to personal anecdotes by demanding sources to comprehensive studies or articles.

People are sharing their personal anecdotes, the testimony of their own lives and lived experience. And you're obnoxiously popping in demanding sources to multiple people who are just sharing their stories. It's totally inappropriate and a violation of basic social etiquette. When called out on it, you responded with an insufferable reply of "skill issue," like a 12 year old, completely unaware of your own poor social skills.

This is how human beings communicate with each other. Not everything is a formal academic debate or conversation. In fact, that's only a tiny fraction of human communication. Most communication is just people sharing their thoughts and experiences with each other. People have a right to share their own experiences without being shouted down by some debate bro or sea lion demanding sources.

The only time you should demand sources is if people are making sweeping claims of the world not backed by their own experiences. It's perfectly valid to tell people, "in my experience and understanding, the world or human beings are like this.." It's completely inappropriate to demand sources for comments like this because you already have the ultimate source. People are just sharing their own opinions, and the only possible source for someone's opinion is their own mind.

Just imagine having a conversation at a bar or restaurant, and every time you make a point, the person across from you obnoxiously says, "I don't care about your opinion or experience. Give me a source!" Can you not see how rude and insufferable that would be?

This is the shower thoughts community. It's literally a place for people to post their damn thoughts! This isn't a community dedicated to formal scientific or policy debate. It's just a casual chatroom. Don't be an asshole and ruin the vibe by demanding sources when people are just sharing their thoughts and opinions. If you don't want to hear people's thoughts and opinions and only want to engage in formal academic discourse, then stick to communities centered around that.

Read the room for fuck's sake.

The same generation that smokes fewer cigarettes also consumes more vapes, so... 🤷‍♂️

The habit hasn't gone away; it merely evolved.

Wouldn't it be difficult to vape when vape didnt exsist.....

I'm not responding negatively to your post, but I wanted to add that I think for some people, they may be less prone to addictive tendencies.

I've just assumed I was broken in some (another) way in that I just can't relate to those who struggle with addiction. I understand it's a struggle for them, but I just don't seem to have that issue with all the common things. Caffeine products (coffee/tea/soft drinks/pills etc), Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana. Tried and abused it all for years, yet I can stop immediately, cold turkey, and not have any negative affects associated with withdrawals. It's just weird, but not anything that I've felt I had to have changed or fixed.

Speak for yourself. When I quit vaping my entire neck and shoulders locked up in a painful cramp and I spoke in a shout for weeeks. It did not. Go. Away until the day I chewed nicotine gum. Which was a MONTH after I put down the vapes. I swear if I get my hands on that alan carr I'm going to throttle him for his cold turkey bullshit.

they already using vapes, e -cigs.

quitting/NOT drinking alcohol is a bigger feat.

Yep, that's what I was referring to. Monster vape juice was the moment I thought "whelp, big tobacco got them again"

"I made it the fuck up"

A Millennials' feelings (of superiority)

Ok… But most people aren’t vaping non-nicotine juice

You'd be surprised... Nicotine salts are pretty controlled in much of the world so many teenagers are just vaping flavour.
Vaping with nicotine was more a thing among recovering smokers.

Zynns are a different story.... Those are stupid amounts of Nicotine and pretty popular.