Hey, how about some good news.

[Hammerskjold]

Not going to lie, I'm pretty immune to the scare tactics.

Yep. In my neck of the woods, there's pictures of what can happen if you keep smoking etc, on packages. There was discussions on whether or not the scary pix should be bigger, or remove all graphics from all cigarette packaging.

As a heavier smoker back then, I'll say this for myself, those things didn't change my habits. At all. Actually depending on my mood and how the subject was broached, I might even trollbait 'em. 'I collect the pix like beanie babies!'.

I think people who never smoked, or did not get addicted to the nicotine bug, should understand this little thing sometimes. Nicotine addiction, is a form of addiction. Scare tactics, appeals to reason, vaguely puritanical platitudes, and anecdotes from a non smoker will rarely, change someone's addiction to it.

For myself I know it wasn't all genetics, it was also learned behaviour on my part as well.

But anyone who wants to help a smoker kick\reduce the habit severely? IMO you can help them the same way many smokers got into the addiction in the first place. Peer pressure. But positive peer pressure.

Hectoring will not help. Lecturing will not help. 'Scaring' won't do squat. 'Educating' people into quitting? That may have worked some in the 1960-70s. But in most cases, smokers -already- know cigarettes are not exactly healthy.

What I personally found more practical, and a lot more helpful? Listening. Non-judgemental support. Most of my friends who smoked quitting\severely reducing the habit themselves. Finding another outlet to distract\divert the old bad habit.

One step at a time, One foot in front of the other. The big thing for me, will be finding a way to quit smoking while I go back to college.... AGAIN. I'm going to get my Bachelor's in Digital Marketing sewn up. That should make me infinitely more marketable for new jobs.

Good stuff dude.