Smoking as a character trait

[BlunderingAlbatross]

Because of all the stigma around smoking now, and general public health campaigns against it, smoking in a character now strikes me as being less of a "cool/rebellious" trait and more like "I don't care what happens to me" one, in the same kinda self-destructive category as excessive drinking.

[sc101]

Hhaahahhahah is that a personal attack intensifies

[darthmongoose]

I hate smoking in real life, but as a dramatic device or a prop it can be really awesome in fiction. It creates something for the character to gesture with in ways that can show all sorts of emotions; nerves, confidence, sensuality, and fills the scene with atmospheric smoke.
...But nobody smokes in my comic, because I'm in the UK and here we have very strict guidelines about depictions of smoking. Since Errant contains mostly content suitable for 13 year olds, and to do that I had to discard my love of using casual cuss words (I'm a Homestuck, this shouldn't be a surprise. In early script drafts, Rekki was dropping F-bombs all over the place while fighting demons), I wouldn't throw that away to show characters smoking.
....Even though I mean... look at Subo... that is a man who would roll a joint at ANY opportunity. Just pretend he's doing that off-screen between adventures.

[jensrichard77]

I have a smoker in my "The Last BL Comic" but it is not just because she smokes, but because it is a part of a side plot and an excuse for her to interact with the main cast.

The plot is not about smoking is bad, but about someone might die soon in the story. And the smoker never get to lit her cigarette....

[malwdark]

I use it as a signal the character is a mess xD. It shouldn't be a problem if you don't take it as something 'cool' like they used to do (probably for advertising purpouses) on old series and movies.

[Kelheor]

no, it's not

[DualDragons]

I feel it also depends on the setting a little bit. In a story set in modern times close to ours, smoking could be seen as a self-destructive thing. But if you write a story that takes place in a much earlier part of history, a different setting alltogether or both, smoking could be normal.
Heck, I write a non-modern fantasy where one of my side characters smokes a pipe. Characters there do crazier stuff, I don't think anyone really bats an eye about one character smoking.

[sc101]

I know lololololololololol

[sushy00]

I live in an apartment with plenty of smoking neighbours. I am sick of all the smoke and I hate that they throw the cigarette buds everywhere (including on my balcony). That's why I no longer draw characters who smoke. I used to not have problems with it, but not anymore. So you may see some smoking characters in my old work, but that won't happen again in the future.

For client work I probably still would draw it though, gotta make some income right xD

[ISNEKO]

I think it's kind of neat to see a smoking character because I feel like they're far and few between. At least in media I consume. I hardly ever seen people in real life smoke, too.

And I'm a sucker for smoking being associated with a character that is fed up and tired. I don't ever make my characters smoke tho. I never smoked or was around someone who did, so I don't have a mind for it. If I made a character smoke I'd forget they did later. So, they'd end up smoking one cigarette one time for some reason.

[Dialusion]

Oh! I can talk about this since I have a smoking character. For me, I just create it if it makes sense for their character. The long and short of it is don't hold back. My rule is to never hold back in creating. A smoking character trait isn't bad at all, go for it!

So I'll talk about my creation process in regards to a smoking character I made.

The character in question is Raymond Reyes of SUMMON! The Nameless Relic. I had based this character off of mentors and coworkers I've interacted with over a few years. Specifically a cook when I worked in a restaurant and a former Air Force soldier. I wanted a strong, no nonsense character that embodied the theme of "Beast-Warrior". I kept the strongest qualities of both of my inspirations: mentally and physically strong, hard-working family-man who, due to circumstances, has to fight to get his family back. The restaurant cook (and honestly half the staff) would take breaks to smoke, so I carried that trait and, design wise it worked very well. The character is super stressed and is carrying a lot on their shoulders, so they smoke to help relax. I don't intend to show it as good or bad, just a thing they do. Plus that same idea of a puff of smoke and jaded sigh was a natural fit (plus I think it's cool, health be damned).

And as for Millennial/Gen Z Anti-Smoking PSA concerns. I'm 25 myself (born 95) and I don't think twice about it. If it makes sense for the character, or you think it'll look cool, go for it!

Hopefully this helped in some way!