The downward spiral of four out of five substance addicts begins with the slender burning stick balanced innocuously between their fingers. Ironically, though perceived as one of the lesser evils to be addicted to, tobacco is considered one of the most dangerous as it appears to be deceptively low on harm. When the first cigarette is lit, anyway.
Like a lot of other things, tobacco addiction also begins humbly. “It was back in my hostel days that I started taking an occasional drag to kill the stress. There was always a lot of coursework and the pressure led me to smoke one cigarette after the other,” says 24-year old law graduate, Kritesh* (name changed), who is currently seeking help for his tobacco dependency on internet support forums. While this is a common progression for most smoking addicts, others have found their way there through relatively ‘beginner’ pursuits like flavoured cigarettes. “I never considered myself a hard smoker, because I’m usually smoking a menthol-based cigarette, which doesn’t have a strong tobacco aftertaste,” says Shwetha*, a 20-year-old college student. “I also don’t want to smell like a smoker,” she adds vehemently, seeking to establish the distinction.
Unfortunately, as most seasoned smokers say, this is often the starting point from where many tend to take to regular cigarettes eventually. “These are targeted at beginners,” says Aditya, a chain smoker. “Cigarettes which are perceived as less addictive and less taboo than regular cigarettes are meant to rein in the new crowd. Once it becomes a habit, you’re hooked,” he adds. And if you believe that the lack of an aftertaste means it’s safer, guess again. They also have a substantial nicotine content, besides tar and high levels of carbon monoxide.
One of the largest issues with chain smokers is their inability to accept where they are at. According to one of the founders of Nicotine Anonymous Chennai, a support group for those who can’t seem to kick the butt, people don’t take smoking as seriously as they should; perhaps because the line between smoking as a habit and an addiction is veiled by ambiguity. The four key ‘watch out’ factors which usually serve as a tipping point, according to Mahesh*, a NA member, are hunger, anger, loneliness and tiredness. “The ones who are regular have managed to lay off smokes for as long as 10 years now, myself included. Yet, quite a few are unwilling to come to meetings, though we have been running it weekly since 2005,” says Mahesh. And this demography, rather alarmingly, seems to include more women, college-goers and young professionals who fail to recognise that line when a habit slips into dependence. That thin line which separates people who light up once a day and those who do it once every hour.
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