in the 1980s I smoked Camel; and also Lucky Strike if I could get them (from 1988 to 1990 I worked on a kiosk selling cigarettes in a British supermarket; which would be illegal today for a 16/17 year old).
I stopped around 2009; a lot of my older friends got very ill from smoking and some died – and cigarettes and tobacco are way expensive across Europe due to taxes; although folk still travel from here to Belgium to get cheaper tobacco the saving is less and less each year. Until recently it was not uncommon for me to cycle 40km and then want to smoke a cigarette immediately afterwards; which is probably extremely stressful for the heart and other internal organs in the long run.
Another factor in me stopping is I work in a place where the seniors are sent to when they reach the end of their lives; and other people who have bad illnesses from age 40 onwards, and I therefore see every day what happens to people with various health problems.
In many European countries cigarettes are now only sold in some corner of the shop and in blanco packs so advertising is less effective. They are also anything up to $10 for 20; controlled drugs and NPS / RCs are cheaper!
