Pass the smokes, eh?

 

This photo came from the back of some homemaker's magazine from October of 1980.  I had blurred the name of the smokes on the carton at first, then realized it was also emblazoned right there above said cartons.  Ads for smokes were ubiquitous in nearly all magazines back then, trying to make people think they can make people cool if they smoke.  Sure worked for a long time, but I never thought it was cool.  The right character can pull it off, but overall it just looks dumb.  "Putting tar and all kinds of chemicals in your lungs voluntarily is a great idea!" I flirted with smoking for about 2 months in college.   It is a funny story, see below for details!
 However, it wasn't actual smoking.  I was lighting smokes for my female friends.  This was fun, but I had no idea smokes came in different flavors and strengths.  I had been lighting menthol smokes.  Those were fine.  The first time I lit up a regular smoke I thought I was gonna cough up a lung.  That put paid to my slight smoking career.