Most people are aware of the potential health risks
associated with smoking. Even with this
knowledge, a large number of people around the world still choose to
smoke. This implies that despite the
risks, smoking serves a number of purposes and may even offer some benefits. So
why do people smoke? Based on studies on
smoking behaviors, I provide four reasons why some people choose to smoke. Reasons
why people may choose to smoke include: (1) to cope with stress and anxiety,
(2) to compliment a food, beverage, or activity, (3) to repel insects, and (4) to
control weight or appetite.
People engage in smoking behaviors for a number of
reasons. One reason that people smoke is
to cope with stress and anxiety. Interestingly,
Lyvers, Hall, and Bahr (2009) found that smokers in Western countries reported
higher levels of anxiety than smokers in other countries. This may indicate that individuals with
higher anxiety levels residing in Western countries may be more prone to smoke
compared to individuals with low anxiety levels. Additionally, it may also indicate that
smoking is perceived more as a psychological coping mechanism in these
countries.
Another reason why people smoke is based on cultural norms,
individual preference, and pairings.
Similar to the reasons why some people feel that a Coke pairs well with
a hamburger and fries, some may feel that a cigarette goes well with a certain
beverage, food, or activity. Some
smokers in select communities within the Dominican Republic smoked when they
drank coffee (Dozier, et al., 2006). They argued that “café y fumar van juntos”
(coffee and smoking go together) (Dozier, et al., 2006, p. i33). I would imagine that this is just one example
of many possible pairings. Some may feel
that cigarettes pair well with an alcoholic beverage. Others may think a cigarette is a great
finish to a good meal.
The next reason that I present may be more connected to
structural factors related to specific geographic regions. Smoking has been used to control
insects. Dozier et al. (2006) found that
some participants smoked to repel mosquitoes.
This reason may be relevant to those who live in areas where it is
difficult to control the mosquito population.
Additionally, smoking has been used for more cosmetic or
even health purposes. For example, some individuals smoke to control their
weight or appetite (Dozier, et al., 2006).
I have heard individuals choose not to stop smoking because they are
fearful of gaining weight.
There are a number of reasons why people choose to
smoke. This list is definitely not
exhaustive. I am sure you can think of
several more reasons why people smoke. Like
most health behaviors, I think the reasons why individuals choose to engage in
smoking behaviors are greatly influenced by culture, social norms, and
structural factors. For example, a
cultural tradition may influence an individual to smoke, or even to not smoke. Social norms can also have a great
influence. For instance in some
environment, smoking is more normalized.
For example, some studies suggest smoking is more normalized in mental
health facilities in the United States (Reilly, Murphy, & Alderton, 2006). In addition, structural factors, like how
accessible cigarettes also plays a major role in smoking behaviors.
Dozier, A. M.,
Ossip-Klein, D. J., Diaz, S., Chin, N. P., Sierra, E., Quinones, Z., et al.
(2006). Tobacco use in the Dominican Republic: Understanding the culture
first. BMJ , 15 (1), i30-i36.
Lyvers, M., Hall, T., & Bahr, M. (2009). Smoking and
psychological health in relation to country of origin. International
Journal of Psychology , 44 (5), 387-392.
Reilly, P., Murphy, L., & Alderton, D. (2006).
Challenging the smoking culture within a mental healht service supportively. International
Journal of Mental Health Nursing , 15, 272-278.
I like how your posts address the reasons people smoke. One reason that I did not see was cultural and societal influence.
ReplyDeleteWhen I studied abroad in Italy, I was surprised to see how many people smoked. All of us Americans were opposed to the idea of smoking, and that became relevant when we were at the bars and Italians would ask one of us to borrow a cigarette. Naturally, all of us stated that we did not smoke. This came as a surprise to one person. In Italy, if you were in university, you would smoke. It was a social thing that one of my Italian friends said to me when we were talking about the matter. "No," he admitted, "I do not particularly like smoking, but it is what we do here. Once I started, I found that it is impossible for me to quit."
Tasha, I think you did mention cultural and societal influence. When I lived in Seoul, I smoked cigarettes because literally all the men I knew smoked. It wasn't pushed on me, but it was part of hanging out. we went out after work, we drank a lot of Soju and we smoked cigarettes. Have you read any research on networks and smoking? I would imagine there is a pretty strong connection between your network smoking and your smoking. I guess I would assume for a lot of behaviors we would see this as well. But alcohol and smoking come most directly to mind. I'm glad you touched on that virtually all of us know smoking is bad. We in the US are saturated with those messages. It hits home because both of my grandmothers died from cancer and smoked. My two aunts that smoke both have beaten cancer once. And one of those aunts was just diagnosed with lung cancer. Awful.
ReplyDeleteDavid and Shelly, thanks for your thoughtful comments. I think culture has a huge influence on smoking behavior. As you both mentioned, I think smoking has been normalized in a lot of cultures. In fact, I think there was a point when a lot of people smoked in the United States. I think increased anti-smoking policies and PSA's had a great impact on behaviors in the United States. I have not looked at literature on social networks and smoking. I am sure family members and friends can influence an individual's decision to smoke or not smoke. Even though there has been a decrease in smoking in the United States, a lot of people still smoke and experience the health consequences. I am sorry to hear about your family members. It seems to be a hard habit to break. I think more research needs to focus on addiction and anti-smoking ads. Are they still effective when someone is dealing with an addiction? I think that component really complicates things.
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