It is so easy not to start smoking or drinking, so why do so many people do it?

I personally believe that it is too easy NOT to begin smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol (and not to mention abusing drugs). Sure, there is peer pressure and people become stressed. But each individual is fully capable of managing stress without resorting to such unhealthy habits. We were made to be able to cope naturally. Smoking and drinking are simply too dangerous for excuses. I'm stressed out all the time; in fact, I get stressed out at the drop of a hat. But I have no desire or need to do these things, even if they are readily available. They are obviously extremely addictive and put users at much higher risk for cancer and other diseases. And how many people kill themselves and others while driving drunk? I would also like to know why exactly 18 year-olds (and younger) consider themselves old enough to drink. They're not, I'm not. It's illegal, simple as that. We underestimate the dangers of these habits. My main point is: it's just too easy to avoid them.

It's easy to start, hard to stop, and some people think its cool so they do it to try and impress them to be cool too. So, its generally peer pressure that starts it and then that person finds out the benefits and ignores the long term damages, and keeps doing alcohol or drugs or whichever, until they are so addicted its almost impossible to stop before they die. Thats why when they go through a serious condition (heart attack) and are hospitilized, then told they have to stop its much more likely that they will rather than stopping on their own.

Stress
Anger
Pain
Problems

the answer is because it is just as easy to start.

You answered it Peer Pressure or readily available from parents not locking it up! Parents not paying attention to the kids, kids get into bad habits from smoking/drinking/ditching school/shoplifting/bad grades. These all seem to go hand n hand.

So I say stupid/self centered parents/bad parenting skills.

it seems to me u r from a very disciplined background, however, we must remember that everyone is not as strong or as disciplined.It is human to err and some of us just err more easily than others,its also easy to see something as easy when WE have the ability to resist it but its not the same for everyone