How important is smoking and cigarettes in your culture?

In Slovakia, where I am from, and in a large section of Europe, smoking is very common and is regarded as part of the culture. I always thought that it was similar in the US (for example, I remember watching the film Rambo with some friends when we were teenagers, and that film had a lot of smoking), but then I learned that it is actually not very common compared to Europe and is much more frowned upon especially in public. In Europe, it is very easy to buy them and smoke them, they cost a few euro and you can smoke them outside anywhere, in most train stations, in some bars, etc but in the US you cannot smoke indoors at all? Also, kids and teenagers smoke a lot, because the age to buy cigarettes is usually very low (16 or 18, and many of the vendors do not check for Id if you “look old enough” or will accept that you are “buying for parents” (since everyone smokes) even if it is an obvious lie. I was shocked to learn that there was actually a big controversy about the amount of smoking in Rango, and that places like California and nyc have strictly enforced minimum smoking ages of 21 and packs cost 10-15$. To summarise, how much of a cultural impact (how common is it, do people think it is cool or just a smelly waste of money) does smoking have, what are the laws, and how much and how young do teenagers smoke? Do their friends tell them to do so a lot? Also, if you smoke, what started it?

CrazyMusicLover · 31-35

I never noticed but there's something to it...considering cigarette smoke as a typical smell of hotels and train stations. 🤔 Drinking seems much more prominent part of our culture than smoking and people take pride in it. I feel like smoking is still more and more frowned upon. You'll get fined if you are caught smoking at the bus stops or in train stations. Despite that people do it a lot but it is nothing in compare to Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna. I was shocked, every second person smoked and entire street was filled with horrible stench of cigarettes.

If people have to smoke then I wish they at least smoked pipes.

bearinthehalfwayhouse · 26-30, M

Yo you'd be lucky if you didn't get carded where I'm from, boi!!......... I mean, it's the uk but, I think it might just be the area I live in tbh but idk......ANYWAY!!! I started smoking because my mom knew a [i]dealer[/i] of sorts whom sold a 10 pack of illegal cigarettes for about $2 each so...... Yeah, kinda got pulled into that rabbithole thanks to her AND my friends at the time..... Also, yo, slovakians hella cute tho ngl fr tbh fyi dl. Gimme dat booty. ┴┬┴┤•ᴥ •ʔ/

Shpiders · 22-25

The way I've seen it, there's 2 categories of smokers here who typically start in secondary school so like age 13-18. The depressed ones (that was me lol) and the "cool" ones who have a tendency to be scumbags. The "cool" ones make sure everyone knows they smoke. The depressed ones, you mightn't even know they smoke. I started smoking when I was 14 because I developed an eating disorder and nicotine makes a great meal.