When cigarettes smelled like sin and vapes smelled like candy.
There was a time when catching a kid smoking was easy. The scent gave it away—the hair, the jacket, the fingers. Even if you denied it, the smoke betrayed you.
In the 80s and 90s, smoking had an image. Rock stars held their cigarettes like microphones, actors made exhaling look poetic, and kids copied them in secret corners. It wasn’t about nicotine—it was about the scene. You smoked to look cool, to look older, to join the world of people who didn’t follow rules. It wasn’t curiosity—it was rebellion.
Then came the vape era—sleek, glowing, and smelling like dessert. Suddenly, rebellion had flavors. Teens weren’t hiding anymore—they were showing off clouds, comparing who had the best scent, the biggest puff. Catching a kid got harder, because vapes didn’t smell bad anymore—they smelled like air fresheners. Some even believed nicotine could give a “high,” but most just ended up dizzy, too young to realize it was the same addiction, just sugar-coated. The “quit tool” became a new toy.
And now, it’s the nicotine pouch generation. No smoke, no vapor, no smell—no evidence. A small white pouch under the lip, a buzz you can keep secret during class or at home. This time, it’s not rebellion. It’s curiosity. “What does nicotine feel like?” That single question sells millions of cans. The mystery is the new marketing. And once the buzz answers that question, it leaves a whisper behind: “Do it again.”
Before, rebellion was loud. Today, it’s clean, minty, and quiet. We used to smoke to defy the system. Now, they use nicotine to belong in it.
Maybe the world got cleaner, or maybe it just learned how to hide its vices better. Maybe the smoke was easier to fight—because at least we could see it. But now that addiction wears a smile and smells like mint, who can tell if the change is good… or just invisible?
Maybe the quiet ones are the hardest to notice.
Just like Smoking an Unlighted Cigarette—the gesture is still there, but the fire’s long gone.
Thoughts drift like clouds across a fading sky, until you find yourself in a quiet room—Alone with a Piano.
Listen to Alone with a Piano on Apple Music and YouTube Music
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
