I've never been a smoker (having smoked a total of two cigarettes in my entire life and hated it both times). However, the rebellious, bloody minded, stubborn git who refuses to be told what to do in me felt the urge to take up smoking on principle when it got banned in public places, purely to piss off health fascists. It's the thin end of the wedge. First it's smoking, then booze, then fatty foods, and... Oh, please don't get me started. How about taking individual responsibility instead of nannying adults? Yes, in the case of smoking the smoke can be a nuisance to others, so I sort-of get that, but I warned at the time it would open the floodgates for nannying. Sure enough, here we are several years down the line, with taxes on sugar, minimum pricing on booze, etc, etc. Why the hell should I be penalised for my modest drinking habits just because some twits want to get pissed out of their heads on a Saturday night and cause trouble?

Funny story: My grandmother, who lived until her late 80s, was constantly berated for smoking throughout her life. But she died as the result of injury complications in a car crash, of all things. A final middle-finger to all those who told her smoking would kill her. Good for her.