It’s 10 PM. A man rides his motorbike, stopping by a local shop. 

 

“One pack of L.A. Ice, please.” 

 

From the cabinet, the shopkeeper grabs a pack. From his wallet, he takes half of his daily budget. On the pack: “Smoking kills.” Above the two-word warning: a gory photograph of a smoker’s blackened lung. The man has seen it countless times and it doesn’t count anymore. He opens the seal, grabs one, and ignites it with his cheap lighter. 

 

With every inhale, his night feels a little bit better.

 

You’re probably familiar with the scene if you live where I live. According to World Population Review, Indonesia is listed among the top 10 countries with the highest number of smokers. Two out of three smokers are male (Cornell), most of whom smoke 6-10 cigarettes a day (Statista).

 

We know that smoking is dangerous, so why do we still smoke?

 

Biologically: To smoke is to get hooked

It’s not just one chemical.
Dopamine makes us relaxed. Endorphins release stress. Nicotine excites & calms at the same time. A range of happy hormones operating at once, all in a single huff.

 

In an age of instant gratifications, smoking is its physical manifestation. It’s a magic tool to help us cope with daily stress and absurd situations.

 

But the biochemistry of a cigarette is old news. What we aren’t always aware of… is the psychological reason behind smoking.

 

Psychologically: To err smoke is human

Leon Festinger, the psychologist who coined the term ‘cognitive dissonance’ literally used smoking as his example. As a smoker, I agree. I’ve concluded that we’re not always the reasonable creatures we often claim to be. We’re cognitively dissonant at times.

 

Why do we sleep so late when we know we have work tomorrow?

Why do we keep exceeding our calorie intake even though we want to lose weight?

Why do we smoke when we know it’s harmful?

 

If my smoking experience was to be summed up in a meme, it would be something like

How it started: “Smoking is dangerous, harmful, and expensive. I will never smoke.”

How it’s going: “Goddammit, I’m running out of cigarettes.”

 

Economically: To smoke is relatively affordable

Thanks to low excise tax, a pack of cigarettes in Indonesia only costs $1.84 – $3.06 (IDR 30,000 – IDR 50,000), depending on the brand. Much cheaper than “the global average of $3.38 and the average in the Asia-Pacific region of $4.67” (Tobacconomics, 2018). The lower the price, the more accessible the cigarettes, and the more smokers there will be. 

 

Unfortunately, this also means that cigarettes are somewhat affordable for school students. A study in Kampar Regency, Riau, found that 60% of respondents from the researched elementary schools were smokers (Hasrianto, Susanti, & Asrizal, 2020). The number is concerning, even for a smoker like myself. But it isn’t flash news, either. Back in 2007 when I was in middle school, some of my peers had started smoking.

 

Socially: To smoke is to build connections

You may have heard the term “social smoker”, that one friend smokes only when there are other smokers. But to some extent, smoking is inherently social. A lot of “regular” smokers started as social smokers (I did). One of my earliest experiences with cigarettes was with friends. After gaming for 5 hours in an internet cafe, they took a drag and offered me one. I wasn’t hooked back then, but I had a taste. 

 

Fast forward to the time I spent pursuing a master’s degree, my classmates consisted of what a goody-two-shoes would describe as misfits: painters, writers, and cultural activists. In this social circle, smoking is common. We used to spend hours at the outdoor canteen, talking about cultural theories and political updates. And most of the time, my friends would smoke. To fit in, I started buying retail cigarettes. Before I knew it, I started buying packs.

 

Culturally: To smoke is to fantasize

“The masculinity of boys and men is questioned if they don’t smoke.” — James Dean, Cornell Chronicle

 

Among all the factors that contribute to smoking, I think this one hides in plain sight but is still largely overlooked. From billboards to late-night commercial breaks on TV, cigarette advertising in Indonesia is prevalent. Just like popular movies & TV shows, these ads are embedded with fantasies. 

Even in 2024, Indonesian cigarette advertisements haven’t moved so far from the “Marlboro Man” trope created by Leo Burnett in 1954. In Indonesia, the idea of smoking still revolves around masculinity, combined with our postcolonial syndrome of looking up to foreigners — hence, the prevalence of white male talents in cigarette ads. The topic itself has been over-researched, yet it seems that nobody actually pays attention to this (other than cigarette brands, advertisers, and researchers).

 

And this is why I think anti-smoking campaigns will always fail. 

There are so many factors that motivate people to smoke, with social & cultural reasons being the strongest two. As long as anti-smoking campaigns focus on the health risks only, people will keep smoking. I know I will.

 

We get it, smoking is unhealthy. But there’s also something about making connections, relieving mental stress, and thinking that one share just an inch of resemblance with Don Draper in Mad Men. 

 

It’s something bittersweet.

 

As bittersweet as the rolled tobacco between your fingertips.