After more than 30 years I gave up smoking (pipe, cigars after that) some 10 years ago at a random day without problems except for gaining weight ..
Never inhaled anything directly,( not done with pipe and cigars), was always involved in a lot of sport (field hockey) and at tests and x-rays lungs were clean. I grew up in a time when smoking was very common. The Queen smoked, the Prime Minister smoked, my parents smoked, teachers smoked in the classroom, there were smoking compartments in the trains and trams complete with ashtrays etc. etc. My father and mother did not die because of smoking, but I knew people who did.
So far so good, gave it up anyway,no trouble at all and not because someone told me so or forced me and I never had the urge to start smoking again
And as for you von Baur, I'm with you, your examples are good, your style is honest, as are the comments in this thread. And I also discourage my kids and others. My wife quit smoking some 20 years ago when she was pregnant of our eldest daughter.
But what I thouroughly dislike -if not positively hate- however, is the fundamentalistic way the (what I call) Anti Smoking Lobby is agressively forcing one measure after another down everyone's throat to ban smoking, sometimes by sneaky lawmaking, also at private societies and clubs and places where nobody is bothered.. As far as I'm concerned I shall allow people to have a smoke - also for instance in my own office-, especially if they politely ask permission (which is more or less the habit nowadays) unless they positively trouble other people or if someone asks them to stop it because of illness or discomfort. That's it, everyone should make the decision for himself, but should reasonably RESPECT other people (but that goes for the anti smokers too)...............
And to tell the thruth, I positively LIKE it if someone lights a real good cigar after a good dinner..........