Do people still smoke in the 22nd century?

[Max Schreck]

Or has it been banned or gone out of style? Or has it enjoyed a sudden resurge in popularity due to filter lungs biomods and carcinophage nanosymbionts, so that now everybody smokes like in the 1940's?

Max

[Gadget]

Probably in 4th and 5th wave counties theres a GM tobacco thats smoke less and non-carinogenic that still gives you a nicotine buzz.

[darksaba]

In the UK smoking is definitely becoming more & more socially unacceptable... I'd be happy to predict that in 90 years smoking will be despised if not actually illegal.

[Jürgen Hubert]

I assume that smoking in 2100 is what the advertisers claim it is now: A fashion statement.

I strongly assume that all the harmful side effects of smoking can be eliminated with modern technology. Therefore, bans are no longer needed. But the addition of cigarettes is also easily cured, and thus people only smoke because they genuinely want to.

[Lonewulf]

The question, therefore, isn't "has smoking been banned?", but instead, "Have people gotten tired of the smoker image?"

Without the addiction keeping people smoking, and without there being any harm, smoking will probably become a fad that will someday be replaced by another fad.

It's the ultimate libertarian dream: Smoking will be decided by market economy and supply and demand; not law, more than likely.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Lonewulf

The question, therefore, isn't "has smoking been banned?", but instead, "Have people gotten tired of the smoker image?"

They probably have. Something else replaces it, such as Arabian hookahs. Then that becomes tired and everyone must be smoking coloured herbs. And then cigarettes come back into vogue. Only to be eclipsed again by a new fad.

Some subcultures smoke minor relaxant and/or hallocinogenics. Others smoke tasteless and odourless cigarettes just meant to look cool. Still others wouldn't be caught dead with anything as old-fashioned as a cigarette.

There are probably people who enjoy smoking unmodified and hand-rolled cigars, with all the health consequences that entails, simply because "natural is better" memes.

All in all, the GM makes the decision for each country, subculture and person. Whatever he decides is equally plausible.

[Hannes665]

Smoking "fad" today, banning and restricting locations of smoking seems only affecting western cultures. Mid east and the orient is something like 30-50 years behind England, Los Angels or Iceland for example when it comes to ban on smoking (locations and workplaces) or how we (the westerners) regard smoking as a socially unacceptable.

So unless in the next 30 years or so the Orient cultures or the midle east change their smoking habbits smoking will exist in the 22nd century.

Just my 2 cents.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Hannes665

So unless in the next 30 years or so the Orient cultures or the midle east change their smoking habbits smoking will exist in the 22nd century.

The Chinese government is beginning to change it's stance on smoking, and is sloooooooowly turning toward discouraging it, rather than the almost encouraging attitude currently in place. I expect this trend to continue, if only because providing healthcare for 1/6th of the worlds population encourages you to keep the costs down. If your citizens don't give themselves lung disease, that's a pretty big cost savings right there.

That's probably the huge reason why the Canadian provinces are moving faster toward antismoking regulations - the federal government makes a ton off of tobacco taxes, but the provinces have to pay to take care of the smokers once their lungs give up.

[Lonewulf]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's probably the huge reason why the Canadian provinces are moving faster toward antismoking regulations - the federal government makes a ton off of tobacco taxes, but the provinces have to pay to take care of the smokers once their lungs give up.

Another example of government restrictions; the more you have the government take care of, the more power over what you can and can't do you put into their hands...

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Max Schreck

Or has it been banned or gone out of style? Or has it enjoyed a sudden resurge in popularity due to filter lungs biomods and carcinophage nanosymbionts, so that now everybody smokes like in the 1940's?

Two of the five PCs in my Transhuman Space campaign smoke. One is of Sicilian descent and has Filter Lungs from when he was a Martian colonist; the other is a British spy modeled on James Bond. In both cases it reflects the player's image of the character. And I suspect that it's a matter of image for most people, more than of health.

Though it's not quite the "22nd century" yet; my campaign started on January 1, 2100, and the 22nd century doesn't start till January 1, 2101.

Bill Stoddard