How is smoking seen among teens now?

This is something that was prompted by the thread asking where people tapped their ash before the smoking ban and I realized that many posters on here have little or no memory of the country pre-smoking ban. I'm using this event as an example as I believe that it is when things started to shift.

I feel that there has been a huge turn against smoking not only nationally, but amongst most First World countries now, though I'm sure there are people that will disagree. The sheer volume of people trying to quit or moving to e-cigarettes show people becoming more conscious of the health impacts.

So I'm curious to know what teens, who either were only toddlers when the smoking ban came into effect or weren't alive, think of it now?

kneemos

I remember that thread.

hfallada

Very few middle class young people smoke. Its so expensive. If you earn €8.65 an hour doing retail, you dont want to spend €10 on a packet of cigarettes. Thats like 75 mins working for a packet.

Smoking is not socially acceptable among young people. I know most young people find it disgusting. Go to UCD or Trinty and you will see very few young people smoke. Although people from working class backgrounds are far more likely to smoke. Maybe its a social thing, because its not because they have more money

brummytom

Over here, I'd say teenage smokers (well, at my school a few years back anyway) were made up of 50% working class kids who just saw it as par for the course, and 50% middle class kids who thought it was rebellious - I was the latter because I'm an idiot.

I think at school, smoking was frowned upon by most kids. When I got to uni, I noticed a lot more people smoking, and it was far more acceptable. Most people I know now will at least have the odd drag on a night out.

Dozer Dave

Vaping is the rage now.

Macavity.

Dunno about younger teens. But I'd say 75%+ of the people (19-22 y/o) I socialise with will smoke on nights out. I'd say 10% smoke habitually.

Mint Aero

Smoking & spitting through their buck teeth go hand in hand for scummy teenagers wanting to look hard.

unfortunately

I have found a lot of my friends didn't smoke as teenagers but took it up as they went into their 20s. Maybe just because they could buy them legally but also I think a lot of people start smoking "only when they are drinking" and end up getting more addicted. Also, it's annoying having to sit in a pub guarding seats when half the table gets up to go out and smoke. So paradoxically maybe people are taking up smoking because a lot of socialising and craic is had outside in the smoking area.

Mr.Nice Guy

boneyarsebogman wrote: »

This is something that was prompted by the thread asking where people tapped their ash before the smoking ban and I realized that many posters on here have little or no memory of the country pre-smoking ban. I'm using this event as an example as I believe that it is when things started to shift.

For a moment I was worried these were saucy euphemisms.

I was in school before the smoking ban was in effect and I don't recall many people smoking. I'd guess the numbers of teens that smoke would be even lower post-smoking ban.

nerobert

I'm 17 and I smoke, have done since I was 15, very stupid when you think about it. I just got into a habit of smoking while I was drinking and that's what got the ball rolling, and yes you work 75 minutes for a box of smokes but that would last me two days. So in a way it's worth it

Gitb1

Came in to give my opinion then remembered I havent been a teenager since the naughties ��

I drive past my old secondary school most days on the way to work and noticed theyre are a lot less lads outside smoking now compared to when I was there (20-30 compared to maybe 5 now)

Also noticed at a recent family shindig all my cousins in their 30's smoke a little more then half in theyre 20's do and only one of the teenage lot do. Although that could have had something to do with others not wanting to get caught!

zcorpian88

Seeing less teens smoking now than when I was in secondary school between 2002-2007.

Back when I was in school you could still get 10 boxes so they were easier to get money for, had lads in my class that'd keep their lunch money for fags rather than feed themselves then spend the rest of the day going around hungry but at least they had a fag, thought it was ridiculous.

The rows in my class were nuts 6 or 7 lads shouting, demanding or even fighting over a "Next" on a fag.

Glad I grew up in a time where they were gaining in expense, better things to spend my money on.

Would hate to be an underage smoker now, you'd have to starve for 2 or 3 days in order to obtain funds for 20 fags! Madness!

BetterThanThou

As an 18 year old, I can say that nearly everyone I know my age smokes at least sometimes, whether they be habitual smokers or people who will smoke every now and then, particularly while drinking. Even the habitual smokers my age I know seem to smoke fairly little, usually they'd smoke rollies and a box of rollies would last them a few days. Seems to usually start with smoking joints with tobacco in them, I never touched tobacco before someone shared a joint with me, I ended up becoming a habitual smoker for a few months and now I still do while drinking. Personally that's an argument for legalizing weed in my opinion, to educate people of healthier ways of consuming it.

gossipgirl10

I'm always amazed at the people who resisted the peer pressure to smoke in their teens and then start smoking in college "to look cool"

RedemptionZ

It's definitely down from say 30 years ago, but the decrease isn't particularly dramatic. Still a lot of smokers, I've noticed it more with women in the 18-23 range that smoke everyday and the men would be more of a go for a smoke in the pub. Smoking area always packed in pubs and clubs, though admittedly not everyone is smoking there.

MathDebater

brummytom wrote: »

Over here, I'd say teenage smokers (well, at my school a few years back anyway) were made up of 50% working class kids who just saw it as par for the course, and 50% middle class kids who thought it was rebellious - I was the latter because I'm an idiot.

I think at school, smoking was frowned upon by most kids. When I got to uni, I noticed a lot more people smoking, and it was far more acceptable. Most people I know now will at least have the odd drag on a night out.

Give the coonts up.

Heckler

I'm 42. Being smoking about 25 years. I have a lot of regrets in my life but my biggest one is ever starting smoking. I love my cigarettes and every couple of months i hope to give them up but I'm pretty much resigned to being a full time smoker.

So far no obvious bad symptoms but I'm sure if I did a lung test I'd fail. Pretty sure I'll no doubt develop cancer from them at an early enough age.

If I could go back in time and stop myself doing one thing it would be starting smoking.

Long time since I was a teenager now, but I wonder how many people will believe me when I say there was a time when schools actually had dedicated smoking rooms for the pupils. My school did, right up until the 1970's. Officially it was only for "older" kids (as if doing your leaving cert makes you an informed responsible adult!) and you needed your parents permission, but that was never enforced.

Years after the smoking ban and now that I'm accustomed to it, I have to say I'm really surprised at the fact that smoking was EVER allowed in some places to begin with. I mean, FFS, Airplanes! 30,000 feet in the sky is the last place I wanna hear a fire alarm going off! I also remember bookshops placing ashtrays around the store for their smoking customers. The entire place stacked from floor to ceiling with paper, and fags burning all over.

One of my favorites though was a mate's mother telling me a story about being in hospital back in the fifties. Doctor comes through the ward, spots 20 woodbine on some guy's locker (yeah, you could even smoke in hospital wards pre-ban), and asks if he can have one. The doctor explains "it's not really for me, I just need it for the man in that bed over there. I need to 'clear his lungs' "

wuzziwig

My office is located next door to a large secondary school. The students walk past my window in their droves. I would say that smokers are in the majority among the older students. All you see is clouds of smoke when they are passing by in groups. They also sneak into our car park at lunch and break to smoke. Some days you can barely get the car out with the amount of them in there. And fog lights are a must to be safe in the haze!!

BoJack Horseman

Certainly seems to be still a 'must do' thing among young women.

I doubt the percentage of smokers has changed generation to generation.

bb1234567

hfallada wrote: »

Very few middle class young people smoke. Its so expensive. If you earn €8.65 an hour doing retail, you dont want to spend €10 on a packet of cigarettes. Thats like 75 mins working for a packet.

Smoking is not socially acceptable among young people. I know most young people find it disgusting. Go to UCD or Trinty and you will see very few young people smoke. Although people from working class backgrounds are far more likely to smoke. Maybe its a social thing, because its not because they have more money

Its not socially unacceptable. Social smoking is extremely common in young people. Im 19 and I got to UCD and normal smoking is quite rare, Id say 10% of people 18-25 are regular smokers maybe. But Id say the majority smoke at parties and nightclubs.

SEPT 23 1989

hopefully its as cool as fcuk

like its always been when you have no fear of your own mortality

SMJSF

I started smoking at 14 (3rd year- 2008), and most of my friends smoked too. Then when I started college I noticed only a small amount of people smoked compared to secondary school.
I started vaping back in October, but now utterly sick of either running out of liquid, not being in a location where I can get liquid or the battery dying when your out. Even though smoking is twice as expensive, it's easier!

Mr Rhode Island Red

Smoking is seen as disgusting, harmful and offputting by people in my school.

But smoking marijuana is seen as modern, cool, rebellious and a bit of fun.

I don't have much time for either group.

c_man

I saw a bunch of young lads (around 14/15) bushing recently, at least half were puffing on e-cigs! This really is the future

PowerToWait

Heckler wrote: »

I'm 42. Being smoking about 25 years. I have a lot of regrets in my life but my biggest one is ever starting smoking. I love my cigarettes and every couple of months i hope to give them up but I'm pretty much resigned to being a full time smoker.

So far no obvious bad symptoms but I'm sure if I did a lung test I'd fail. Pretty sure I'll no doubt develop cancer from them at an early enough age.

If I could go back in time and stop myself doing one thing it would be starting smoking.

I loved smoking. But really resented it at the same time. You absolutely owe it to yourself and loved ones to try to quit imo.

I think cigarettes are the most insidious addictions going. Whatever is in that cocktail of thousands of chemicals has an utterly indelible impact on the brain. I'm only off them 3 years but I've mates off them 10 and more who still get a grá.

The best thing is not being beholden, as a friend's father remarked. Cigs or tobacco dictate a smoker's life to a much larger extent than you realise until you're no longer addicted.

Quit the bastids.

Nucular Arms

Not really though...

Filmer Paradise

bb1234567 wrote: »

Its not socially unacceptable. Social smoking is extremely common in young people. Im 19 and I got to UCD and normal smoking is quite rare, Id say 10% of people 18-25 are regular smokers maybe. But Id say the majority smoke at parties and nightclubs.

I find this with the younger lads at work now. They seem to be able control it better somehow.

My generation (40s) would always have a fag on the go, as there were less restrictions when we were their age, I spose.

old_aussie

How would I know.

Macavity.

gossipgirl10 wrote: »

I'm always amazed at the people who resisted the peer pressure to smoke in their teens and then start smoking in college "to look cool"

There was very little peer pressure to smoke as a teen, for me anyway. The only place you could really smoke was behind the bins or any sort of spot where there'd usually be a few dodgy fuckers you'd have to deal with as well. Not to mention buying fags as a minor is more hassle.

I think "looking cool" has very little to with it. People go to college, they want to try new things, they want to try smoking at least once, and they can do that openly there without any of the above BS.

pueblo

Heckler wrote: »

I'm 42. Being smoking about 25 years. I have a lot of regrets in my life but my biggest one is ever starting smoking. I love my cigarettes and every couple of months i hope to give them up but I'm pretty much resigned to being a full time smoker.

So far no obvious bad symptoms but I'm sure if I did a lung test I'd fail. Pretty sure I'll no doubt develop cancer from them at an early enough age.

If I could go back in time and stop myself doing one thing it would be starting smoking.

I felt the same 12 months ago but this really worked for me.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1497

Captain Chaos

I've noticed it's more popular again in the younger generation. In my group of friends ranging from 28-34 year old there are only 2 smokers. In my younger brother's and mates younger siblings age group around 23-26yrs old almost all smoke like troopers.

In the small company I work for all the smokers are 26 and under.

In my view far more women smoke than men too. Seems to be a style/fashion thing.