003. should i take up smoking?

When in Rome…do you light up? Cigarettes, peer pressure and the art of social smoking

Picture this! its 9:00am and your on your way to sit through a 3 hour lecture, that in all honesty you wish you could skip. On your way to class, students are gathered at small tables underneath the porticoes, discussing their weekend plan's. On the tables sit empty cappuccino cups, half-eaten brioche and packs of loose-leaf tobacco. Breakfast of champions.

While I prepare a plate that would get me an A+ in grade 4 health class (I am looking at you Canada Food Guide), my Italian counterparts opt for a different kind of sustenance- coffee and a cigarette. I have to admit, it’s much easier to prepare than avocado toast or scrambled eggs, and definitely is "sexier" than a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. But I just can't get behind it...or can I?

I have never been a smoker. Aside from the occasional experimentation in highschool (sorry mom and dad), it has never been appealing to me. However, the more time I spend in a place with a "smoking culture", I experience a curiosity, an interest, dare I say...a bit of peer pressure.

Yes at 24, you can still experience peer pressure. Like all grade 6 Ontario students of the 2000’s to late 2010’s, I graduated D.A.R.E- with the T-shirt to prove it. Therefore, I am well aware of the health implications of picking up the habit and the “say no to drugs” slogan. But, you see, I am no better than a teenager.

Moving to a new place and making new friends (especially in adulthood) can be difficult and smoking can facilitate opportunities to connect with people. It’s not uncommon to be in a conversation with someone and they offer for you to join them for a cigarette. Or you are walking in the street, someone stops and asks you for a lighter or extra "cartine" (rolling papers) and you regretfully tell them you don't smoke.

It’s sort of like being apart of an exclusive club, but instead of knowing the password or secret handshake- your way to access it is reaching into your coat pocket to pull out a pack of darts,

Strictly from anecdotal evidence I have collected - most people my age identify as social smokers. Social smoking as an identity is defined as “a self-identity in which the person describes themselves as someone who smokes predominantly or exclusively in the presence of others who are smoking” (Kale et al., 2024). While usually associated with social gatherings such as parties or night life, by definition, it can happen any place that others choose to smoke. Those who identify as having a social smoking identity report being more inclined to smoke in the prescence of those who are also smoking (Hastings et al, 2020) and that social smokers are less inclined to quit, as they perceive the activity as social rather than an addiction (Moran et al., 2004; Song et al., 2014)

While this identity may not matter in the smoking community, I believe it matters to the individual and how they interact with society as a whole. The line that divides “I need a cigarette” and “I would like one” in the minds of those that engage in the activity. Obviously, this could be a result of the stigma surrounding smokers. No doubt that identifying as a smoker has negative connotation.

At least in Canada, smoking cigarettes is looked down upon much more than marijuana, vaping, or consuming any other kind of nicotine substances. I believe this is large in part to the anti-smoking campaigns of the 80’s and 90’s that have trickled into how we categorize socially acceptable behaviour. As someone who is apart of the generation that almost eradicated smoking cigarettes; the glamorization of other substances has simply taken the place of cigarettes, therefore I find it unfair to continue to shame cigarette smokers.

Cultural differences between youth in Canada versus Italy has caused me to reflect on why smoking cigarettes is less popular in the former(looking beyond the stigma). I imagine going for a smoke break in Canada is less enjoyable. For starters, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find places to smoke due to laws prohibiting smoking in front of most businesses and restaurant patios. Second, I wouldn't be itching at the chance to join someone who asks "do you wanna join me for a smoke" in -20 during the peak of a Canadian winter. This could be why vaping or Snus/Zyn (nicotine pouches you place on your gum, like chewing tabacco) is on the rise in countries with colder climates.

I think for many, smoking, is a type of observance and the option chosen plays a role in how someone self-identifies. You can tell a lot about a person based on their method of choice. Some enjoy rolling it themselves; the filter sits behind their ear as their tongue licks the rolling paper. Once done rolling, they inspect their work like an artist who finishes a sculpture. Some buy pre-rolled, others use Iqos- a device that heats up the cigarette and who people have expressed me is "healthier", yet smells horrible. Of course then there is the aforementioned vape, Zyn and Snus but is admittedly not as popular in Italy. I imagine Italians are traditionalists- and smoking tabacco is like a ritual.

For centuries, many cultures around the world use smoking as a ritual; to build community, solve disputes, or presented as a gift of appreciation. I see these similarities reflected in the smoking culture of 20-somethings in Italy. Meeting someone new- you offer them a smoke, friend having a rough day- share a smoke, having a tough conversation- light a cigarette. Even the important role of rolling the cigarette, often assigned to the most skilled member of the group is reminiscent of the rolls certain societies ascribe to their members at meetings/council. While maybe not evident at first, it is used as a tool to build connection, close business deals, or offer advice.

I have seen people smoke at breakfast, smoke at dinner, smoke before class, smoke after class, smoke during class, smoke on your bike, smoke after the gym, smoke when your happy, smoke when your sad, hell I have seen drivers navigate the streets of Bologna- cellphone in one hand and cigarette in the other (distracted driving, who?)

you get the picture.

All the scenarios and social situations surrounding smoking, while not enticing me to pick up the habit, it does create a desire to feel connected to others through this shared act. Some may say, “well Donatella, that is the definition of peer pressure” and while that is half true- the other half can be framed more positively.

Even in technologically advanced societies, with all the research telling us smoking is bad, we as humans hang on to habits that help us feel connected to one another. For social smokers; it may be less about the object and more about what the action represents. Yes, that feeling of connection may be as a result of the chemical effects of nicotine on the brain but I think it’s worth attributing some of that to the ritual. And maybe, now more than ever, young people are longing for that space that allows for community to be built.

So while I am not encouraging anyone to take up smoking, I do think we should take a closer look on why the habit (in all its various forms) continues to exist in social settings. All that being said, I will continue to stick to my balanced breakfast and sit on the fringes of the smoking club. Admiring those with lighter in hand, ready to dive into their chat. For they connected with someone today, whether it be a friend or stranger and I can’t help but feel the world is a little better for it.

Hastings, J., Cox, S., West, R., Notley, C., 2020. Addiction ontology: applying basic formal ontology in the addiction domain. Qeios. https://doi.org/10.32388/HZHJIP.

Kale, D., Jackson, S., Brown, J., Garnett, C., & Shahab, L. (2024). Social Smoker identity and associations with smoking and quitting behaviour: A cross-sectional study in England. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 260, 111345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111345

Moran, S., Wechsler, H., Rigotti, N.A., 2004. Social smoking among US college students. Pediatrics 114, 1028–1034.

Schane, R.E., Ling, P.M., Glantz, S.A., 2010. Health effects of light and intermittent smoking: a review. Circulation 121, 1518–1522