# Smoking: Does it look cool?



## Imbored21 (Jun 18, 2012)

I don't smoke and do not condone it, but I can't help but think how cool it makes you look. Do you think smoking looks cool?


----------



## Darktower776 (Aug 16, 2013)

Maybe at certain times in movies, TV, or anime etc. but I've never thought that in real life.


----------



## Kevin001 (Jan 2, 2015)

I starting smoking because I wanted to be cool. I've always thought people who smoked were cool. I quit about a 1yr ago because I realized smoking wasn't cool and just dumb.


----------



## sad vlad (Nov 9, 2013)

No.


----------



## SofaKing (May 9, 2014)

You look awesome bald from chemo, so yeah.


----------



## kageri (Oct 2, 2014)

It looks disgusting.


----------



## ScorchedEarth (Jul 12, 2014)

Only when The Illusive Man does it.


----------



## Srylance (Apr 20, 2014)

Really depends on the person and situation. But in general we can agree smoking does not make you look any cooler. In movies and certain scenes it can be cool sure.


----------



## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

Like others have said, it can have its cool-looking-moments in photos, movies and such, but it doesn't really transfer to most IRL situations. You're more likely to get frowned upon for smoking than get any awe and admiration.


----------



## BackToThePast (Aug 31, 2012)

Being near secondhand smoke is not cool.


----------



## Whatev (Feb 6, 2012)




----------



## forgetmylife (Oct 1, 2011)

it can sometimes, but cigs can also make you look and smell like a scumbag


----------



## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

Which looks cooler ..?   Both my sisters smoke 20 a day and I hate the smell and smoke though, plus a friend of my mother recently died from lung cancer she smoked 60 a day for years :/ Meh its everyones personal choice who wants to live forever anyway its looks cool if you drive a sportscar and wear sunglasses at the same time


----------



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

I like the way it looks, but I wouldn't say that it looks "cool".


----------



## Srylance (Apr 20, 2014)

probably offline said:


> I like the way it looks, but I wouldn't say that it looks "cool".


This statement, makes your avatar picture look so "Not Cool".


----------



## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

It makes you look like someone who lacks intelligence, or who had confidence issues when they were young.


----------



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

typemismatch said:


> It makes you look like someone who lacks intelligence, or who had confidence issues when they were young.


Do you think that way about people who drink too much alcohol or eat too much unhealthy food without exercising, too? People who are damaging their bodies in general, while being aware of the risks? Or is the judgemental attitude about something else?


----------



## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

probably offline said:


> Do you think that way about people who drink too much alcohol or eat too much unhealthy food without exercising, too? People who are damaging their bodies in general, while being aware of the risks? Or is the judgemental attitude about something else?


I judge people who smoke. It's the decision to start smoking in the first place that seems illogical to me. Food and alcohol have different root causes.


----------



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

typemismatch said:


> I judge people who smoke. It's the decision to start smoking in the first place that seems illogical to me. Food and alcohol have different root causes.


How is deciding to start drinking alcohol any more logical than smoking? It's not like it's natural for the body. People usually start doing both around the same age, too.


----------



## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

probably offline said:


> How is deciding to start drinking alcohol any more logical than smoking? It's not like it's natural for the body. People usually start doing both around the same age, too.


Alcohol can be something that taken responsibly can be part of a positive lifestyle. If you start taking alcohol you are not likely to become addicted to it as a substance. If you start smoking you are. You are likely to have a lifetime of trying to quit smoking.


----------



## Esteban (Dec 8, 2014)

No. It looks idiotic. It only sometimes looks cool in photos, movies, etc.


----------



## Awkto Awktavious (May 11, 2011)

When I was a kid, they would show a bunch of Anti-smoking PSAs that scared me to death.
Like that one where that old lady is smoking out of a hole in her throat; or the one with the puppet with blood shot eyes.





So damn cool! what a badass.


----------



## Aribeth (Jan 14, 2012)

Looking cool is the only reason why I'd ever consider smoking. There's just something to it. When two people talk, the one that smokes is the boss of the conversation. You have to wait ~5 seconds for them to give you the answer while you stand around, staring awkwardly like a moron :lol While they're all cool and stuff.









Really surprised at the poll results btw.


----------



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

typemismatch said:


> Alcohol can be something that taken responsibly can be part of a positive lifestyle. * If you start taking alcohol you are not likely to become addicted to it as a substance.* If you start smoking you are. You are likely to have a lifetime of trying to quite smoking.


I would disagree. Alcoholism/unhealthy drinking is a _very_ common problem. Alcohol addiction also changes people's personalities, which affects everyone around them.

The same can be said for cigarettes. There are many people who can smoke without becoming big-time-smokers and/or quit without having much trouble with it. Just because you try a cigarette doesn't mean that you're hooked for life.


----------



## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

typemismatch said:


> Alcohol can be something that taken responsibly can be part of a positive lifestyle. If you start taking alcohol you are not likely to become addicted to it as a substance. If you start smoking you are. You are likely to have a lifetime of trying to quit smoking.


One can be a responsible smoker in the same way as one can be a responsible drinker.

Essentially both can become habits that you end up doing out of boredom or just because you feel like doing it. Sure, having a smoke break during your everyday life activities such as working or studying is a lot easier than to have a shot of alcohol in the same frequency you might have smoke breaks.

All in all humans tend to seek pleasure in any form possible. For some it'll be a glass of wine with dinner, for some smoking a cigarette. But the line between addiction and a pleasurable action is that with the former you seek the pleasure without achieving it, you just feel the compelling need to do so. 
If you're the type of person who is prone to taking things like that to the extreme, you're no better off drinking alcohol than smoking cigarettes or starting either. 
And having a few experiments with either is not gonna seal your deal with the substance for life, either.


----------



## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

Hmm, fair points but in general you are more likely to become addicted to smoking. And I'm not sure what the benefits are - it is really that pleasurable, or does it just become about satisfying the addiction?


----------



## Kanova (Dec 17, 2012)

I actually think it makes a person look retarded, since they are willingly doing something that

1) Will kill them eventually
2) Makes them and their breath smell like ****
3) Constantly buying stuff that kills them and makes them smell like **** for ridiculous amounts of money.


----------



## kageri (Oct 2, 2014)

Alcohol _can _be done responsibly and under control without it harming you or anyone else. Sometimes small amounts of alcohol is even good for the body.

A cigarette is a cigarette. The moment you light it you just damaged your lungs and people nearby. Repeat "and people nearby!". You know how much it sucks to hold your breath going in and out of every building including college campus so you don't have an asthma attack and that horid smell?

Most people I've had drinks with were in total control. They did not bother anyone else. Jokes were appropriate for our group. There were designated drivers. They could also drink all they want and it would have no impact on me who can't drink much if at all.

Some people take alcohol to excess where it harms them or others. Everyone harms themselves and often others when they smoke. Just because it's slower damage doesn't mean damage isn't happening.


----------



## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

typemismatch said:


> Hmm, fair points but in general you are more likely to become addicted to smoking. And I'm not sure what the benefits are - it is really that pleasurable, or does it just become about satisfying the addiction?


Smoking a cigarette is certainly pleasurable, as you can feel a sort of a nicotine rush when doing it. The more you smoke though, the lesser the rush usually is. So that's why smoking tends to become an addiction related to a habit, a routine, a psychological addiction rather than a physical one. Sure, some people feel nicotine withdrawals after not having smoked for a while, so it's not easy to say whether smoking itself becomes a mainly mental or a physical addiction.

In the topic of a mental addiction, alcohol can easily become one too. If you drink seemingly responsibly (ie. don't get drunk every time you drink) it can still become a thing that feels like a part of a routine to you. Having a drink after you get home from work or doing so every time you feel stressed, or even feeling like it's something you need to do in social situations. You're not an alcohol addict in the traditional sense that you live in the gutters and do anything to be pissed every day - it's a thing you might clutch to even without realizing doing so.

It's unfair in this sense to assume that everyone who smokes is simply an addict in denial and then say that alcohol is "safer".

And in general people who try out smoking for the first time actually have no idea on how to do it properly. Alcohol in this regard is a lot easier to consume and get the desired result.


----------



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

Amphoteric said:


> One can be a responsible smoker in the same way as one can be a responsible drinker.
> 
> *Essentially both can become habits that you end up doing out of boredom or just because you feel like doing it*. Sure, having a smoke break during your everyday life activities such as working or studying is a lot easier than to have a shot of alcohol in the same frequency you might have smoke breaks.
> 
> ...


Agreed.



typemismatch said:


> Hmm, fair points but in general you are more likely to become addicted to smoking. And I'm not sure what the benefits are - it is really that pleasurable, or does it just become about satisfying the addiction?


If you've never smoked, how could you? It would be like me not understanding the benefits of heroin. I simply don't know the feeling.

Does alcohol really taste good? Some would say yes. "I love a cold beer in the sun". Other people say that alcohol actually tastes pretty yucky, but that you drink to have fun and/or get drunk.

*I don't smoke*, but I have in the past. The feeling of smoke, going down my lungs, really calmed my body. I also loved the feeling of holding a cigarette in my hand. Pleasure mixed with habit. Etc. You're aware that you have to quit one day though, since it's dangerous. And I have done that.

I imagine that many people feel similar about coffee. You often don't like it in the beginning. You want the kick from it, and learn to like the taste. Does it really taste good? Did you really want that third cup of coffee?

Also, people rarely _actively decide_ to start "using" something. Someome let's you try something -> you do it again some other time-> you buy your own one day -> wait, how did this happen? Not many people go "hell yes! give me some of that poision I'm gonna kill myself becuase I'm so stupid rararara "


----------



## thetah (Dec 25, 2014)

I'm normally the open-minded and tolerant type, but honestly smoking is one of the few dealbreakers for me in terms of friendships/relationships. I know that sounds shallow but I just can't stand it.


----------



## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

I hate smoking but sometimes I used to try smoking a pipe cause it looks cool and made me look more intelligent








< very smart man smoking :teeth


----------



## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

blue2 said:


> I hate smoking but sometimes I used to try smoking a pipe cause it looks cool and made me look more intelligent
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And maybe he would have come up with a better theory than the general theory on relativity if he didn't smoke!

_"General relativity has emerged as a highly successful model of gravitation and cosmology, which has so far passed many unambiguous observational and experimental tests. *However, there are strong indications the theory is incomplete.*"_

^ See that. Incomplete!


----------



## MoveAlong91 (Jan 10, 2015)

What makes a person cool is by them being cool. Smoking increases the fold of so many things that you don't want in your life. So, for those who think it's cool, just wait until later on...because it won't be


----------



## Grog (Sep 13, 2013)

Generations ago it was portrayed as cool in movies and advertising . That then feeds down the generational line until it is fades out .
When I was about 12 and started smoking it was the normal thing to do by most people ( not 12 year olds mind you but I grew up a little earlier then most ) 
My first jobs it was acceptable to serve customers while smoking and the times were certainly different 

Now 
I'd say it's socially unacceptable and portrayed as not cool and you are dumb for smoking as a lot of the above answere say ( which is sort of true ) except their views are skewerd by advertising and media the same way the generations before were . 

What does make me laugh is this gens life expectancy is a lot lower than mine and my gen smoked ha ha ha . 

Goes to show you in years to come gen will be criticising you all for decisions you make and the media and advertising portray as cool or healthy . Lol


----------



## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

typemismatch said:


> ^ See that. Incomplete!


 Maybe the pipe was what made him come up with any theory maybe if I smoke a pipe I can come up with an incomplete theory :teeth :/


----------



## Ivy60 (Aug 16, 2013)

It looks *and* smells terrible. I personally don't find burning your lungs cool either.


----------



## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

karenw said:


> *I dont see how you can enjoy holding a cig when your hands then smell, attractive*. Your opinion is coming across as an image thing, the next female equivalent to James Dean yeah.


Not sure if you're being sarcastic or just used the wrong word with the "hands then smell, attractive" comment, but nevertheless people aren't usually concerned with how their hands smell. 
You can enjoy holding a lot of things in your hands even if the said hands might smell unpleasant afterwards.


----------



## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

Amphoteric said:


> Not sure if you're being sarcastic or just used the wrong word with the "hands then smell, attractive" comment, but nevertheless people aren't usually concerned with how their hands smell.
> You can enjoy holding a lot of things in your hands even if the said hands might smell unpleasant afterwards.


When I was a child I had an uncle and his hands were actually coloured yellow from smoking so much never mind the smell he died from cancer (edit) but he also worked around radiation for a while so whos to say what caused it


----------



## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

karenw said:


> No I not being sarcastic I'm being realistic your hands reek. Therefore its not cool, yeah you look cool but you stink, nice.


Alright ...



blue2 said:


> When I was a child I had an uncle and his hands were actually coloured yellow from smoking so much never mind the smell he died from cancer


I'd assume the colouration of his hands was due to not using filters in the cigarettes.


----------



## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

Amphoteric said:


> I'd assume the colouration of his hands was due to not using filters in the cigarettes.


He smoked everything I remember him smoking pipe, cigars and roll up cigarettes not at same time though :b so must have been


----------



## SD92 (Nov 9, 2013)

No, I don't think so. Maybe in a 1950's film when someone like James Dean smokes it might look cool, but it doesn't really look cool now when we know how unhealthy it is to smoke.


----------



## forgetmylife (Oct 1, 2011)

typemismatch said:


> It makes you look like someone who lacks intelligence, or who had confidence issues when they were young.


Tell Einstein that...


----------



## CoffeeGuy (Sep 23, 2013)

In the movies, maybe. In real life? Almost never.


----------



## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Maybe 20 years ago but now when I see someone smoking I just pity their lack of intelligence.

Super attractive when they hurl out a smokers cough too, nothing like a pretty girl sounding like she's about to bring up a lung, so sexy.


----------



## CoffeeGuy (Sep 23, 2013)

forgetmylife said:


> Tell Einstein that...


Studies do show that smokers typically have lower IQs than non-smokers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/23/us-smokers-smarter-idUSTRE61M3UQ20100223


----------



## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

No, it looks like you have s*** for brains.

Though I'm old enough to recall a time when smoking was deemed cool. It's what the cool kids did in middle school & high school way back in my day. I was never cool enough to smoke.


----------



## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

waerdd said:


> Being near secondhand smoke is not cool.


 Poor thing.


----------



## SummerRae (Nov 21, 2013)

Pretty much the only reason I smoke occasionally. :lol I'm lame :cig


----------



## SummerRae (Nov 21, 2013)

But if I say so myself. Lana del rey looks pretty damn cool in my avi. :cig


----------



## megsy00 (Nov 5, 2013)

No.


----------



## monotonous (Feb 1, 2013)

i smoke because i'm so freaking depressed


----------



## CWe (Mar 7, 2010)

Hell nah. I think it looks stupid


----------



## sajs (Jan 3, 2015)

Imbored21 said:


> I don't smoke and do not condone it, but I can't help but think how cool it makes you look. Do you think smoking looks cool?


Missing the "I dont care" answer. Smoking is much of a precious gift to minimize its whole existence to how cool it is. This just worries to kids.


----------



## sajs (Jan 3, 2015)

monotonous said:


> i smoke because i'm so freaking depressed


Yes, its the only time when I am not thinking, you know? People ask "why you dont quit?" .. becaue I dont want to, life is a matter of choices, choices between two opposite stuffs. And I chose mental comfort rather than physical one.


----------



## SummerRae (Nov 21, 2013)

AussiePea said:


> Maybe 20 years ago but now when I see someone smoking I just pity their lack of intelligence.
> 
> Super attractive when they hurl out a smokers cough too, nothing like a pretty girl sounding like she's about to bring up a lung, so sexy.


Oh, the sexiest.


----------



## sajs (Jan 3, 2015)

CoffeeGuy said:


> Studies do show that smokers typically have lower IQs than non-smokers.
> 
> http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/23/us-smokers-smarter-idUSTRE61M3UQ20100223


They should make a study about how people who make studies have lower IQs than people who dont. They are going to be surprised.


----------



## visualkeirockstar (Aug 5, 2012)

No.


----------



## ShatteredGlass (Oct 12, 2012)

CoffeeGuy said:


> Studies do show that smokers typically have lower IQs than non-smokers.
> 
> http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/23/us-smokers-smarter-idUSTRE61M3UQ20100223


oh for sure


----------



## forgetmylife (Oct 1, 2011)

CoffeeGuy said:


> Studies do show that smokers typically have lower IQs than non-smokers.
> 
> http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/23/us-smokers-smarter-idUSTRE61M3UQ20100223


derp
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mjn52e00/pdf


----------



## CoffeeGuy (Sep 23, 2013)

forgetmylife said:


> derp
> http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mjn52e00/pdf


Heh, If you want to think that smoking cigs is making you smarter then more power to you. :b

To be fair though, both of the studies could be true. Yours says that nicotine could have a positive impact on some aspects of IQ, while mine simply claims that people who rank lower on the IQ scale are more likely to choose to smoke.

Also, please note that if you're a smoker I'm not trying to imply that you personally have low IQ or are dumb. I've seen some very smart people who are smokers.

I'm just citing studies and generalities.


----------



## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

Amphoteric said:


> Like others have said, it can have its cool-looking-moments in photos, movies and such, but it doesn't really transfer to most IRL situations. You're more likely to get frowned upon for smoking than get any awe and admiration.


You said everything I was going to say lol.


----------



## eveningbat (Jan 21, 2013)

No, it looks ugly, smells too.


----------



## Perkins (Dec 14, 2010)

It transfers well on films and photos and popular culture (i.e. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, James Dean, etc.), but not so in real life. I often find myself turned off when I encounter someone smoking and they're contaminating my air. Plus, the smell is disgusting.


----------



## forgetmylife (Oct 1, 2011)

CoffeeGuy said:


> Heh, If you want to think that smoking cigs is making you smarter then more power to you. :b
> 
> To be fair though, both of the studies could be true. Yours says that nicotine could have a positive impact on some aspects of IQ, while mine simply claims that people who rank lower on the IQ scale are more likely to choose to smoke.
> 
> ...


Um, no... Stimulants in general can enhance memory, energy, alertness, attention, focus, etc. and fyi nicotine is a stimulant. This is why you'll often see professional athletes and college students "abusing" them to improve their athletic performance, workout intensity and duration, study habits (duration), etc.

So yea, I think that when a drug is giving you more patience/attention/focus that you will have the ability or interest to study something you might have not otherwise (and for longer) this is going to make you "smarter". Also, stimulants enhance memory storage and recall...



> Nicotine. Findings from both human and animal studies have indicated that acute administration of nicotine can improve cognitive performance (particularly tasks that require attention), short-term episodic memory and prospective memory task performance. Chronic usage of low-dose nicotine in animals has been found to increase the number of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and improve performance on learning and memory tasks.[27][28][29] Short-term nicotine treatment, utilising nicotine skin patches, have shown that it may be possible to improve cognitive performance in a variety of groups such as normal non-smoking adults, Alzheimer's disease patients, schizophrenics, and adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.[30] Similarly, evidence suggests that smoking improves visuospatial working memory impairments in schizophrenic patients, possible explaining the high rate of tobacco smoking found in people with schizophrenia.[31] However, evidence suggests that low doses of nicotine facilitate memory and high doses have no significant effect or may impair memory.[27]


I am not a smoker (and it has been about 2 months since I have had one), although I do enjoy the occasional smoke.


----------



## Sinatra (Mar 13, 2013)

It definitely can look cool at times but I cant stand the smell of it.


----------



## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

forgetmylife said:


> derp
> http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mjn52e00/pdf


It's about the type of people that smoke. Not the actual effect of smoking. Usually poor, lower class types.


----------



## KILOBRAVO (Sep 17, 2011)

no it looks horrible and cheap.

one thing I hate is to see a nice attractive young girl ..... then again to see her smoking. it totally turns me off. why would I want to kiss her right after her smoking.... ? i could go and like an ash tray if I wanted then.


----------



## burgerchuckie (May 31, 2012)

I actually want to try it just for the sake of trying it :lol


----------



## will22 (Mar 28, 2011)

-sigh- imo smoking a cig looks cool to me IRL as long as the person looks healthy on the outside and I'm a certain distance from the smoke.

but sexually it's a turn off


----------



## IlIlIlIrlpoloIlIlIlI (Feb 5, 2012)

Smoking cigs looks trashy these days.


----------



## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

IlIlIlIrlpoloIlIlIlI said:


> Smoking cigs looks trashy these days.


 That makes me want to start smoking again. I always wanted to look trashy.


----------



## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

if an attractive person does it.


----------



## Dane (Jul 27, 2009)

Yes, it looks cool.

That's why I used to smoke occasionally when I was younger. I could never feel any kind of effect as far as the nicotine was concerned.

I quit five or six years ago when smoking was banned in most bars and clubs.

I think a lot of the people answering this poll are going off topic. The question was whether smoking looks cool, not whether it's healthy or smells bad.


----------



## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

Smoking on the silver screen, sure - a la Rita Hayworth.

Personally though, I don't look at smoking for its outward appearance. It's more about the enjoyment of smoking. To calm yourself down, relax, unwind with a coffee perhaps.


----------



## wrongnumber (May 24, 2009)

I don't think they're unintelligent I just think they're victims of addiction. I also think addictions make people selfish since they will put their own physical comfort above other's comfort and wellbeing.


----------



## M0rbid (Jan 11, 2011)

Smokers teeth = so uncool


----------



## 8888 (Oct 16, 2014)

no, there is nothing cool about emitting chemicals into the air and one's body, plus the smell is awful! very uncool


----------



## Sean07 (May 9, 2014)

I've smoked for almost 5 years and it's by far and away the worst thing I ever decided to do. It's completely uncool and I'm completely hooked. I've cut down a lot because I've always been scared about my teeth being discoloured from it. I guess it used to feel good when I started but now it's just to get rid of the cravings. I don't think smoking is a good factor in determining friendships though, my personality is not dictated or even influenced by the fact I smoke.


----------



## Kascheritt (Mar 7, 2012)

It's cool. Aha...keep telling that yourselves lol


----------



## chaosherz (May 15, 2011)

I'm surprised how many people voted cool. In Europe they definitely think it's cool, judging by how many people there smoke. It really is so incredible how many people do it. I think here now it is only about 15% of adults regularly smoke.


----------



## cafune (Jan 11, 2011)

I really like the look of it, admittedly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


----------



## Avesatani (Jan 20, 2015)

I do smoke but it doesn't makes you look cool.


----------



## GangsterOfLove (Apr 23, 2013)

I can't say yes or no. I find that when watching old black and white films I consider it attractive, I don't know why, I guess because those people just seemed classier. Since it was looked at as normal because of the unknown consequences, it can look good to modern viewers because you can sense the normalcy of it. But yeah, nowadays smokers aren't attractive to me. Or at least it has to depend on the person.


----------

