Why haven't you quit smoking yet?

The other day I saw a medical professional walking down the street on a gorgeous sunny day in scrubs and clogs smoking a cigarette. It's a sight that, no matter how common, never fails to stop me in my tracks with its pure weirdness. It's like seeing Santa Claus strolling with the devil.

I understand why they do it: it's a stressful job and stepping out for a cigarette is probably the only way to get a quiet moment alone in a hospital. But what I don't understand is why they don't do it. That moment of peace will have them resting in peace for eternity.

But we're not here to list the well-known reasons why smoking will kill you. We're after the other side of the story. When we see doctors and nurses walking down the street puffing away, we get curious about the psychology of smokers. You know all the risks, but you do it anyway. Why?

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