A Typical Reaction to Pipesmoking?

[Kent Hartland]

I've only ever gotten positive feedback from the general public (at festivals and such, which is about the only public place I smoke) -- typically a generalized praise like "That's so cool!" or "Awesome man!" or "Wow that smells great!"

(On these occasions, usually smoking tobacco forward crossover aromatics, like Northwoods or Vanilla Rollcake)

My parents don't approve, but I respectfully avoid smoking when they're around. On the rare occasions they happen to see, they don't say anything because I heard it all for 18 years and they know that there's nothing further to contribute now.

My in-laws (whom I have a very good relationship with, and whom I respect enormously) are most vociferous against tobacco and alcohol, at all -- seeming most concerned about anything that can be addictive vs. health concerns -- which is interesting, since I sometimes go long periods without a pipe or drink and never crave it, whereas (I think) they haven't gone a few hours without coffee for decades (and openly tease about their addiction to it).

I have some alcoholics and drug addicts in my family. When I was a young child of the 70's, I smoked Mary Jane for years and drank daily for probably thirty years. I also began smoking and making tobacco pipes about that time, too.
While I've witnessed the devastating effects of addictions on other people, I personally never got hooked. Indeed, after I retired, some twenty years ago and the need to 'decompress' before coming home from work went away, I simply forgot about drinking. I may now have a drink with my wife once every few days or weeks. I am convinced that some lucky people, like me, have a genetic tolerance for things that might waylay many others.

 

[MartyA]

I smoke churchwardens sitting out on a swinging chair on my lawn reading. I'm the only person I know who smokes a pipe, and maybe I enjoy being a 73 year old dinosaur. I've never had anybody react to my pipe smoking.

Winter has pretty much shut down my smoking. 50 degrees F is about my limit for enjoying a book and pipe.
Marty