Which Romanians smoke?

I was going to write why Romanians smoke, but then I discovered that over half of Romanians are non-smokers.

But, like bulgaria, Romanians are more likely to be poor, more likely to emmigrate, and more likely to smoke than say, Swedes or Norwegians.

So, we went to observe Romanians throughout Europe.  We found smokers and non smokers in Belgium, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, and elsewhere and noticed trends that confirmed statistics given by mental health and health researchers across the globe.

First, we discounted some old theories.  Do Orthodox Christians smoke more?

Religion doesn’t make you smoke, it might help some people quit, but Church of England, catholic church and the Lutheran church do not necessarily have a stricter anti-smoking theology than the Orthodox church of Romania.  And minority churches like Adventists and Jehovahs Witnesses are just as strong amongst Romanians as they are amongst other Europeans.  Orthodox who grew up in Western countries do not seem to be more likely to smoke than others.

Some people, especially those with little education, think smoking can help with their mental illness.  This is more likely in a less educated country like Romania or Bulgaria.

Unfortunately, evidence shows that smoking might actually make you mental illness worse, as well as push mental illness onto your children.  That’s right, studies in Japan show that even second hand smoke can increase the risk of mental illness.

Those who are mentally ill are more likely to smoke.  This is especially visible among women.  (But perhaps it is less visible among men because men are less likely to be tested for mental illness.)

 

All over Europe, LGBT are more likely to smoke than their straight counterparts.  The tobacco industry works harder to attract the LGBT community, and LGBT icons tend to be more likely to smoke (and smoke publically) than mainstream figures.

Also, in communities where other symbols such as the rainbow flag can result in social exclusion, such as the orthodox and arab communithy, other symbols are chosen.  We see these minorities walk around town with a lit cigarrette to announce their availability to others.  There are other secret codes using cigarettes, perhaps we shouldn’t reveal too many because they may put lgbt people in danger.  (And they change as time goes along).

In countries like northern Europe where it LGBT status is more explicit, there isn’t as much need to smoke to show their lgbt status.

 

This is a big one.  Wealthy places in Britain and Belgium have fewer smokers.  Those who have gained success are less likely to resort to a cheap thrill, as they have more options.  Even the entrances to a large building used by wealthier patrons are less likely to have people smoking in them.  While some wealthy people smoke, they tend to do so in designated smoking areas, and not on the street corners.

 

Some people smoke to lose weight.  Cancer helps you lose weight  but we don’t think it is worth it.

again, places that cater to those of high IQ don’t tend to have people smoking outside the doors.  Intelligent people know more ways of staying calm, or getting a buzz, that are not as likely to cause cancer or mental illness.

 

Many people just follow what their parents do… old romanian expressions.

 

 

This is especially true among those of low intelligence.  They will risk their own health just to annoy others.

We find it even more annoying when people jump out of airplanes without a parachute.  Should make a commandment about that.  However, those with very low intelligence who left a group that disallows smoking will sometimes smoke just to spite others in that group.

 

Those of lower IQs, high risk of mental illness, and LGBT status are most likely to smoke.

Another observation is that the more smokers there are in a country, the more corrupt and **** it is. Smokers are more likely to be corrupt than non smokers.

Prisoners are also more likely to smoke.

That doesn’t mean that everyone who smokes is an impoverished, low-IQ, LGBT, mentally ill, corrupt prisoner.  These are just factors that increase the likelyhood of trying and continuing to use vapes or cigarrettes.

However, even if you have these factors against you, it is still possible to quit smoking.  Many figures in history quit smoking, from Adolf Hitler (who was a chain smoker in his youth) to Dwight D Eisenhower (who smoked well into his adulthood).  Most of them were able to quit after they discovered the true dangers of smoking.

Some, like Joseph Stalin, were unable to quit smoking (or didn’t want to).  Others, like Vladamir Lenin, couldn’t stand the smell of smoke and never seemed to get addicted in the first place.  Still others survived assassination attempts but were killed by lung cancer, like Beatle George Harrison.