With the exception of reservation sold cigarettes, it's ridiculously expensive to smoke cigarettes in my state. I rarely see many people smoking anymore. Most employers bar smoking on company property. It's almost universally banned in apartments/school grounds/beaches/parks. At the same time, the state has done a 180 on marijuana, and is really enjoying the tax revenue its getting from marijuana sales.
1. Vapes, Zyns, etc. creating new nicotine addictions in 13-20 year-olds. It's an epidemic in high schools and colleges right now. Once you're addicted to nicotine, trying cigarettes is only a matter of time.
2. Media depictions, always been an issue but recently a number of popular shows (i.e. Peaky Blinders), movies (i.e. Oppenheimer), and artists (i.e. Lana Del Rey) have depicted smoking in a positive light, which has a big impact on young people.
3. Smoking weed, they are weak substitutes for each other and the normalization of smoking weed also means smoking of any kind (including cigarettes) is normalized, and cigarettes are far more accessible.
4. Poor economic conditions always see an uptick in drug use across the board, with alcohol and cigarettes being the primary drivers. It may seem counterintuitive, because those things are expensive, but they're cheaper than vacations, expensive hobbies, or a night out and they provide release and comfort (things that everyone needs to stay sane). Once again, the current economic conditions are hardest on young people, because they haven't had a chance to build up capital (which is doing great, it's labor that is struggling).
let me communicate the thoughts of my generation. vaping is bad for you. cigarettes are also bad for you. vaping is lame (see: millennials) , cigarettes are cool (see: oppenheimer). but if you smoke cigarettes all the time, you will stink. solution: only drunk cigarettes. the zoomers you saw smoking had to be drunk. regular zoomer smokers/the nicotine fiends get their fix from vapes or zyns for the convenience and stealthiness.
I've observed the same phenomenon - it started as a joke a few years ago about how "drunk cigarettes don't count" but now it's become an actual cultural thing, that I've participated in.
1. Vapes, Zyns, etc. creating new nicotine addictions in 13-20 year-olds. It's an epidemic in high schools and colleges right now. Once you're addicted to nicotine, trying cigarettes is only a matter of time.
2. Media depictions, always been an issue but recently a number of popular shows (i.e. Peaky Blinders), movies (i.e. Oppenheimer), and artists (i.e. Lana Del Rey) have depicted smoking in a positive light, which has a big impact on young people.
3. Smoking weed, they are weak substitutes for each other and the normalization of smoking weed also means smoking of any kind (including cigarettes) is normalized, and cigarettes are far more accessible.
4. Poor economic conditions always see an uptick in drug use across the board, with alcohol and cigarettes being the primary drivers. It may seem counterintuitive, because those things are expensive, but they're cheaper than vacations, expensive hobbies, or a night out and they provide release and comfort (things that everyone needs to stay sane). Once again, the current economic conditions are hardest on young people, because they haven't had a chance to build up capital (which is doing great, it's labor that is struggling).
The wise thing to do is save up for those special moments and not waste $ on cigs. Good post breaking down the factors!