New Rollers of the Nicotine Age: Millennials and Smoking

I recently conducted 
a survey of Millennial
smokers to discuss 
their theories of tobacco 
and how and why they 
use it. Their fierce 
enthusiasm is truly
Big Tobacco's long 
awaited wet dream.

While an increasing
number of Millennials
are choosing to go smoke 

free; this post applauds 

those who have turned 

away from nicotine, or 

just plain turned it down.

Yet I couldn't help 
but notice that 
amongst those who
are smokers...

-Not once did they use 
the terms "cigarette", 
"smoke", "smoking",

or "nicotine" or say 
"I should quit."

-None of them admitted 

to being addicted. Tobacco 

was mentioned in reference 

to it being medicine.

-They invoked the neo-
Native American relation-

ship to tobacco, insisting 

that their usage was ritual-
based, honorable and 
visionary.

-"Do you want to share 
some tobacco?" has 
replaced the phrase,

"Let's go have a cigarette..."

-Most weren't aware of 
the effect of their 2nd Hand 
Smoke on non smokers...

This group of smokers had 

disconnected themselves 

from the truth about 

nicotine addiction. It was 

here I first heard the phrase, 

"American Spirits advocate

the healthy use of tobacco"

as part of the alternative 

lifestyle of the Enlightened...

Witnessing smokers claim

to being highly evolved

humans aware of other

consciousnesses, 
meditative practices and 
skill sets making them 

shamans amongst their 
"tribe"...made no sense...

Because they continued 

to smoke...

When someone smokes,

they automatically fall off 

the enlightened list. Period. 
There are no "mulligans" 
with nicotine addiction.
There is nothing enlight-
ening about smoking 

except for the realization 
that it will kill you. Tobacco
is an anti-enlightenment drug. 
Smoking is, was, and will 
always be lame. Once one 

allows themselves that 

revelation and that smoke 

free is the way, then by

quitting, one can once 

again embark on the Path 
to Enlightenment...

...after all, Buddha never smoked...

Buddha and the Visitor, detail; Painting by John Aaron