why do people smoke?

Why Do People Smoke?
The Psychology of Smoking:
by Ernest Dichter 1947

None of the much flaunted appeals of cigarette advertisers, such as superior taste and mildness, induces us to become smokers or to choose one brand in preference to another. Despite the emphasis put on such qualities by advertisers, they are minor considerations. This is one of the first facts we discovered when we asked several hundred people, from all walks of life, why they liked to smoke cigarettes. Smoking is as much a psychological pleasure as it is a physiological satisfaction. As one of our respondents explained: "It is not the taste that counts. It's that sense of satisfaction you get from a cigarette that you can't get from anything else."

Editor: That's the point, isn't it? We are trying to kick this nasty crutch out of the way!

Smoking is Fun
What is the nature of this psychological pleasure? It can be traced to the universal desire for self-expression. None of us ever completely outgrows his childhood. We are constantly hunting for the carefree enjoyment we knew as children. As we grew older, we had to subordinate our pleasures to work and to the necessity for unceasing effort. Smoking, for many of us, then, became a substitute for our early habit of following the whims of the moment; it becomes an excuse for interrupting work and snatching a moment of pleasure. "You sometimes get tired of working intensely," said an accountant whom we interviewed, "and if you sit back for the length of a cigarette, you feel much fresher afterwards. It's a peculiar thing, but I wouldn't think of just sitting back without a cigarette. I guess a cigarette somehow gives me a good excuse."

Editor: I did not smoke as a child, thank God. The childhood whims of the moment were often pleasurable, some were not, like sticking my hand on the hot, sizzling griddle, or jumping into the thorn bush!

Smoking is a Reward
Most of us are hungry for rewards. We want to be patted on the back. A cigarette is a reward that we can give ourselves as often as we wish. When we have done anything well, for instance, we can congratulate ourselves with a cigarette, which certifies, in effect, that we have been "good boys." We can promise ourselves: "When I have finished this piece of work, when I have written the last page of my report, I'll deserve a little fun. I'll have a cigarette." The first and last cigarette in the day are especially significant rewards. The first one, smoked right after breakfast, is a sort of anticipated recompense. The smoker has work to do, and he eases himself into the day's activities as pleasantly as possible. He gives himself a little consolation prize in advance, and at the same time manages to postpone the evil hour when he must begin his hard day's work. The last cigarette of the day is like "closing a door." It is something quite definite. One smoker explained: "I nearly always smoke a cigarette before going to bed. That finishes the day. I usually turn the light out after I have smoked the last cigarette, and then turn over to sleep."

Editor: In other words, feeding the monster is necessary just to make it through the day. I call this "The life of a dog."

Smoking is often merely a conditioned reflex. Certain situations, such as coming out of the subway, beginning and ending work, voluntary and involunatary interruptions of work, feelings of hunger, and many others regulate the timetable of smoking. Often a smoker may not even want a cigarette particularly, but he will see someone else take one and then he feels that he must have one, too. While to many people smoking is fun, and a reward in itself, it more often accompanies other pleasures. At meals, a cigarette is somewhat like another course. In general, smoking introduces a holiday spirit into everyday living. It rounds out other forms of enjoyment and makes the satisfaction complete.

Editor: The last time I quit, I built smoke-free memories on several outings. I found the satisfaction was just as complete without having to duck out for a smoke. In fact, the outings stood on their merits alone, uncorrupted by 'exits stage right', lighters, butts, and guilt.

Smoking is Oral Pleasure
To explain the pleasure derived from smoking as taste experience alone is not sufficient. For one thing, such an explanation leaves out the powerful erotic sensitivity of the oral zone. Oral pleasure is just as fundamental as sexuality and hunger. It functions with full strength from earliest childhood. There is a direct connection between thumbsucking and smoking. "In school I always used to chew a pencil or a pen," said a journalist, in reply to our questions. "You should have seen the collection I had. They used to be chewed to bits. Whenever I try to stop smoking for a while, I get something to chew on, either a pipe or a menthol cigarette. You just stick it in your mouth and keep on sucking. And I also chew a lot of gum when I want to cut down on smoking...." The satisfied expression on a smoker's face when he inhales the smoke is ample proof of his sensuous thrill. The immense power of the yearning for a cigarette, especially after an enforced abstinence, is acknowledged by habitual smokers. One of our respondents said: "When you don't get a cigarette for a long time and you are kind of on pins, the first drag goes right down to your heels."

Editor: The oral fixation for smoking actually disappears in days. It is one of the first psychological addictions to exit the stage. Peppermints, Halls mentho-lyptus, hot peppers, cinnamon sticks, and/or Aromatherapy work for many people to assuage this fixation.

The Cigarette -- A Modern Hourglass
Frequently the burning down of a cigarette functions psychologically as a time indicator. A smoker waiting for someone who is late says to himself, "Now I'll smoke one more cigarette, and then I am off." One person explained, "It is much easier to watch a cigarette get smaller and smaller than to keep watching a clock and look at the hands dragging along." In some countries, the farmers report distances in terms of the number of pipes, as, for example, "It's about three pipes from here to Smithtown." A cigarette not only measures time, but also seems to make time pass more rapidly. That is why waiting periods almost automatically stimulate the desire to smoke. But a deeper explanation of this function of smoking is based on the fact that smoking is ersatz activity. Impatience is a common feature of our times, but there are many situations which compel us to be patient. When we are in a hurry, and yet have to wait, a cigarette gives us something to do during that trying interval. The experience of wanting to act, but being unable to do so, is very unpleasant and may even, in extreme cases, cause attacks of nervous anxiety. Cigarettes may then have a psycho therapeutic effect. This helps to explain why soldiers, waiting for the signal to attack, sometimes value a cigarette more than food.




I got a free sample of WINNSBORO, a new cheaper brand of cigarette. Cheaper than Fortune Cigarette.

Hindi talaga ko nag yoyosi na, dati college ok pa pero social smoker lang. I just tried this one iba lasa pang masa un price nya pero iba pa din pag branded. Packaging pa lang parang pambalot ng espasol. Bakit nagyoyosi un iba? Sabi nila palipas gutom? When I try it lalo ako nagutom. Para wag daw antukin. Pag nagsmoke ako lalo ako inaantok. haha. Hangang umaga lasang yosi lalamunan ko. Me naiwan pa sa bahay 2 packs pa! hindi kasi masarap e.

Mas enjoy ako pag alak pero sa yosi indi ko talaga kaya lalo ako inaantok pag nagyosi.