Why does everyone in the 12 Colonies Smoke?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Seriously. This has bugged me in both series why is smoking so prevelent in Colonial society? They've established that they Colonials are aware of the ill effects of smoking and how it is tied to cancer (see President Roslin in BSG). That being the case why are these people still smoking like Chimneys?

Is it because Ron Moore is a heavy smoker?

[Pharaoh Atem]

ron moore is a social smoker for the record. and as with real life we know smoking is bad but everyone does it anyway

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

PA,

Sure, but, even in the 40s and 50s there were people who never smoked. The only character I can think of who never smokes in BSG is Helo. Caprica is even worse.

Correct me if I'm wrong but on Moore's podcats for BSG episodes doesn't he make a big deal out of what he's smoking?

[Jeffala]

Smoking for stress relief and weight loss.

[EvilSpaceAlien]

Smoking for stress relief and weight loss.

I go running instead. It gives you stress relief and weight loss as well. Plus, it has the benefit of not giving you lung cancer.

[Jeffala]

You'd think with all the sex they had they wouldn't have any stress.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I don't recall much Sex on Caprica.

[Jeffala]

Sorry, I'm conflating Caprica and BSG.

[DigiFluid]

Seriously. This has bugged me in both series why is smoking so prevelent in Colonial society? They've established that they Colonials are aware of the ill effects of smoking and how it is tied to cancer (see President Roslin in BSG). That being the case why are these people still smoking like Chimneys?

Because it's the same way in real life....?

[SaberBlade]

It's actually a very clever secret by the tobacco industry, as they developed a great advertisement campaign to show that smoking shows you're not a Cylon.

Therefore any non smoker should be shot immediately, unless already suffer from one of the multiple conditions smoking causes. They saw well ahead what would happen, that is why cigarettes are still easily available on ships.

[jsonitsac]

You'd think with all the sex they had they wouldn't have any stress.

If they were having that much sex wouldn't they be smoking even more?

[Jeffala]

It'd be a balancing act. Enough sex to keep the stress away but not so much that you're smoking more than if you weren't putting rabbits to shame.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Digifluid,

Because it's the same way in real life....?

My mother is the only person in my immediate circle who still smokes.

Saberblade,

I did wonder where the RTF's vast supply of tobacco was coming from. Given they had serious issues regarding food and water they never ran out of Cigarettes.

[Puddle-Jumper]

Because its cool.... duh

[Puddle-Jumper]

Because its cool.... duh, or much more likely they just want the show to seem a bit more realistic, and a hell of lot of people smoke in real life.... just like people in shows drink, which is also bad for you, theres also plenty of people who eat fatty foods in tv shows, everything in this planet is bad for you if you do enough, smoking is just the current hot button cos peeps are all worried about cancer, which is fair enough, but you can get cancer regardless of what you do, infact if you live long enough you WILL get cancer for sure regardless of how healthy a lifestyle you live. So you might as well live it up while you've got the chance, plus in 20 or 30 years time medicine will have become a lot more advanced and we'll have much better methods of dealing with cancer. but back to the point, its to add to the gritty realism that the show is trying to get across..