A recent thread on red flags prompted me to think about the red flags for me. Amongst the usual suspects, I thought that 5ere was a clear red flag missing from the discussion for me. This is smoking. I was instantly transported back to my youth, as we would say in nightclubs when ‘sharking’ - “fag - shag / tattoo - poo”. For those not completely versed with UK slang - ‘fag’ means a cigarette (a cigarette smoker in this case) and ‘poo’ meant anal. A girl possessing both of these qualities would a) be up for easy casual sex and b) would be filthy in bed at the same time. Now of course, depending on the situation, these red flags can be green flags. A one night stand or plate with an long leash would certainly be an option, however I wanted to discuss the red flags of smoking.

The red flag of smoking for me is recklessness. Sensible and grounded people do not smoke. Really sensible and grounded people don’t even try and are completely not interested. Now I’m not talking about a decent cigar or pipe during a quiet moment of reflection, I’m talking about the £10 pack of twenty floor cuttings a day or worst still the roll ups. Recklessness with health is just the tip of the iceberg, it’s the recklessness with everything else down the chain. She’s sacrificing her future for a moment of pleasure and if you manage to get yourself into a situation with someone like this in (god forbid) an LTR, she’s sacrificing your future too. It’s not just the health problems that may impact her and then you of course, it’s the financial issues that may come about because of this. Forget getting decent private health care at a reasonable cost and forget that holiday in the south of France. Fags in the UK at least cost the average smoker nearly £200. That’s around a fifth of the income of someone on minimum wage here. Something has to give to ensure this habit can continue, financially that’s usually the place. Many of the smoking women I meet are usually college drop outs, working shitty jobs in local factories or behind a bar where the habit was formed. There’s a sense that they can’t really move on from their youth - it’s as if the habit formed during youth is keeping one foot anchored in that age. Because of the money and job, means that when they come to the party, they have zip to contribute. They’re usually living in shared accommodation and sure as shit don’t have their own property. Who could sustain a habit like that which costs around half the rental around my area? Smokers are more likely to rent in my experience, more likely to be out in pubs and clubs, which are the places that the habit was formed and as a result are much less likely to be financially stable. Therefore, they usually don’t care about building wealth, they wear shitty clothes, don’t drive and have no pride in anything.

Coupled with recklessness, health and money is the scent. A smoker needs to hide the scent of smoke, however there’s no money to go around to hide it. The recklessness of the smoker means that they smoke in their own house, so clothes smell and so does the linen and curtains etc. Because of the lack of cash, she uses some kind of Britney Spears Milkshake cheap perfume for youngsters which gives them this sickly-sweet shop smell with an undertone of fag ash. The smoking also prevents them doing much ins the way of physical activity, so as soon as they begin their twenties they begin to pile on the weight. Smoking and the inability to give up is the same lack of discipline that stops them going to the gym.

To conclude, smoking is reckless decision. It’s recklessness with health, appearance, money and the future...and it’s a red flag.