How old were you when you first saw someone smoking?

[BCRanger10]

How old were you when you first saw someone smoking? What did you think about it?

Here's why I'm asking...

I smoke occasional cigars. My son is currently five years old and I don't think he's seen me smoke. Even though I don't do it all that often, I've been careful to make sure he doesn't see me. I remember being five or six years old, (maybe?) seeing one of my uncles smoking cigarettes, and using straws, Tootsie Rolls, fries... basically anything I could find in order to pretend I was smoking.

When my son is the proper age, I might let him in on it. But right now, I just don't want him to pick up the pretending habit, y'know? At least not from me. I dunno, am I overthinking or overreacting or what?

[MemeSupreme]

you're a good dad. i think you're overthinking it a bit but it definitely doesn't hurt lol its understandable tho. i would just pay attention to who he's around

like i smoked as a kid bc it was normal in my area for us to. plus i liked the smell of cigs/weed bc of my dad and had easy access to his. other kids i knew were in a similar boat

[BCRanger10]

Thank you 🤗 There are a few other cigar and pipe smokers amongst our friends. Some people at our church smoke and on only one or two occasions, I've seen parishioners smoke cigarettes after Mass.

Like I said, I just don't want him picking up the pretending habit. But also, his current favorite movie is Ernest Goes to Jail. The actor who played Ernest was a lifelong chain smoker and died of lung cancer at only 50 years old. So I just don't want him to get scared for me too, knowhaudimean (get the reference 😆?)?

[sage2021]

I guess when I was a toddler because my grandma smoked 🚬

[Lliam]

From before I can remember. Neither of my parents smoked. But my mom's dad smoked occasional cigars. My dad's dad smoked cigarettes. I had aunts and uncles who smoked. There was no stigma about smoking when I was a kid.
Characters on TV and movies smoked. There were cigarette commercials.

[exitseven]

both my parents smokes and so did just about all the adults that I knew. It was something that I grew up with. I did try it a few times but fortunately I never liked it much.

[jamesgoldman]

Early enough to not recall but my father and especially my mother's family smoked

As a fellow BOTL I enjoy cigars but haven't ppartaken in my 2 year old nephews presence

[DishLady]

Born to a chain-smoking whiskey-slinging dad...

[DryGermanGuy]

Under three years old, before kindergarten. My parents smoked cigarettes at the time.

[jazzy34]

Hmmm probably four or five. My mom has been a smoker all of her adult life.

[Avicenna]

I must have been really young, and I don’t remember!

[Lucy68]

I was 2 years

[Miah06]

3...

[Anonymous]

7 or younger