Former heavy smoker here, quit two decades ago. It creates a strong craving, which briefly supplies pleasure when you appease it. It provides (or at least used to) social connection with other smokers, particularly at "smoking breaks".

And it gives you something recognizable to do while waiting for something. Rather than sitting there, staring out with a stupid look on your face, you instead sit there smoking a cigarette.

It's an incredibly difficult addiction to break, it's expensive, and these days identifies you as either very old or more or less a loser. Avoid, avoid.

Nicotine creates a temporary feeling of well-being and relaxation, and increases heart rate and the amount of oxygen the heart uses. As nicotine enters the body, it causes a surge of endorphins, which are chemicals that help to relieve stress and pain and improve mood.

Initially you get pretty buzzed.

But that wears off. It becomes nothing but jonesing for the next one.'

The moment you are done you want another, and the anxiety builds until you feed the craving.

You're not getting anything but a very temporary relief from the need.

Source: Quit 2 years ago after over 25 years.

There's a mild light-headed "high" when you start.

It surpresses appetite (at first).

It can help make "going to the bathroom" easier.

It pairs well with coffee, marijuana, and alcohol.

In social or work situations, it's a way to get 5 minutes to yourself, or at least break off to a smaller group with just the smokers.

Due to the addiction it's a constant vicious cycle of cravings -> appeasement. It's terrible for you and costs a fortune. Prices have doubled in the last 10 years in my area. Besides the cost of your health which has always been high.

I would get a slight buzz if it had been a while since my last cigarette, but otherwise it was a satisfying of cravings. It's been about 10 years and I still miss being able to smoke a cigarette during or after stressful situations, such as watching sports.

It's kind of like sleep. If you get enough sleep, you don't necessarily feel good, just normal. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel bad. If you regularly don't get enough sleep, you might think getting enough sleep feels good, because you're so used to feeling bad and you have something to compare it to. If you're currently in a state of being tired, it feels good to lie down and go to sleep.

The act of smoking is like waking up and snoozing your alarm and going back to sleep. It feels good to go back to sleep, but only because you're tired and you're satisfying that need. Someone who sets their alarm early on purpose in order to get that "go back to sleep" feeling when they snooze might seem crazy to people who just get enough sleep. And, like smoking, it might piss off the people around you because they have to listen to your alarm go off constantly.

It makes me not want a cigarette for a while.

When you first start it can relieve stress and be relaxing, but that is a trap. Those effects will fade and what will be left is a habit. A habit that your brain will do some pretty large mental gymnastics to justify.

Being a stimulant, I used it for many years to self-treat my ADHD. I did the same with caffeine. Coffee and cigarettes got me through highschool.

Edit: The reason you see people in movies smoke after sex is because it combats the post bang sleepies. It also contributes to the high.

It reduces anxiety and suppresses appetite. It satisfied both oral and digital fixations. It looks and feels cool as hell.

Now, all that is more than overcome by the significant downsides, mind.

It works as an appetite suppressants

Nothing good.

Source: was a smoker for 35 years. Quit last year.

I don't get why there are so many pro-nicotine people here. I guess they have to defend their addiction?

If you try nicotine for the first time, you will feel dizzy and sick. But you will start to crave more nicotine. When you redeem that craving you will feel "good". But that "good" is actually just feeling normal. Think of it as if you put on too tight shoes, walked around with them, and then took them of again for a little while and then put them back on.

I smoked and used other nicotine products for 10 years, but after learning the truth about nicotine it was easy to quit. It's a very pointless drug but also very lucrative for those selling it...

It's a little bump of energy and a calming ritual that's all too intoxicating. Perfect for when you wanna sip a cup of coffee and/or do yoga or something to decompress but only have like 3 minutes to spare or else your boss will yell at you. I've found cannabis to be far more effective and safer-feeling.

With a hidey lidey lidey and a hidey lidey lay We work and we make cigarettes all hidey lidey day So folks can get a breaky from their stressful lidey lives And relaxy with the cigarettes we make all day and night

I like to have a cigarette every now and then It makes me feel calmer when the day is at an end.

And if it gives me cancer when I'm eighty I don't care Who the hell wants to be ninety anyway?

So with a hidey lidey lidey and a hidey lidey lay We work and we make cigarettes all hidey lidey day So folks can get a breaky from their stressful lidey lives And relaxy with the cigarettes we make all day and night

Nicotine is an awesome drug. Increases your focus and provides a mild euphoric effect. Of course it's not good for you, and if you've got to do it, it's better to get it in some other way than to smoke cigarettes.

Edit: lots of people are suggesting that you don't get any benefit once you're addicted, except satisfying the cravings. That's not true. Nicotine feels good even after you've been using it for a long time.

I never smoked but know smokers who could not sleep through the night. They would wake up ever couple of hours to smoke. That is miserable.

Everyone here is forgetting one of the main things: It gives you an escape from work and awkward socaial situations

Nicotine (the main active ingredient in tobacco) is a mild stimulant. It can help people relax or focus better. You can also get a bit of a headshot if you smoke intensely

There are also cultural benefits. Hanging out informally with others, especially at work can be useful. A 10 min informal tea break every now and again would be better but that's the world we have got in many workplaces.

The feeling of taking a drag of a cigarette when you're craving is unequal to any pleasure I've had in my life. Of course that's due to the addiction, and I don't recommend anyone smoke. But gott damn, it is bliss.

What does cigarette smoking do for people?

Gives them an assortment of cancers with a side of breathing and cardio issues.

Rise their life insurance costs on 30%.

It satisfies the craving for nicotine, if they're already dependent on it. Others need a smoke to poop.

It's very satisfying, kinda like how you feel after you just finished eating a big meal. A significant portion of that satisfying feeling is caused by the chemical dependence that the nicotine addiction itself caused in the first place, but that doesn't change the fact that the feeling is very satisfying.

It relaxes and grounds you. I started during a particularly stressful exam phase and it helped with managing stress.