Can anyone answer this question for me?

[Ol Smoke]

I was watching the local news last night when they started a thread on the homeless people up in Portland, OR.

 

The news guy asked about 8 or 10 of these people, who were in a circle, what they needed to make their lives better and get off the streets?

 

This girl and guy answered, that right now, they just needed handouts from people to get enough to eat.

 

All of these people were smoking cigarettes.

 

In Portland, the cheapest cigs are about $6.00 a pack. 

 

So answer me this...WTF!!!

[Pepperonipizza]

Addiction is an enemy to people down on their luck.

Can you tell me with 100% certainty that if your life went to shit, I mean COMPLETE shit, you wouldn't, at some weak moment, resort to narcotics or other stuff that doesn't make your situation seem as bad?

 

 

Also, people who are homeless have usually never been tought how to handle money, how to save money, how to spend money in a smart way.

It's a very recurring theme in the stuff I read about homeless/poor people.

 

 

I'm not trying to tell you that it isn't weird. It's just that this stuff happens for a reason probably, even if it seems really weird.

[Barn!e]

In the UK its a big problem.

 

Smoke or feed yourself?

 

We see people on social payments get the money...at midnight when it hits their accounts and buy cigarettes before anything else. Here its nearly $15 for a pack of 20.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Barn!e

[TheJuice]

In the UK its a big problem.

 

Smoke or feed yourself?

 

We see people on social payments get the money...at midnight when it hits their accounts and buy cigarettes before anything else. Here its nearly $15 for a pack of 20.

 

its worse then that, i used to know someone (dunno where they are now) that could spend all thier social/benefit money within a couple hours. and none of it went on food, or bills etc. its a sad state of affairs. we're taught algebra in school,. but not how to manage money.

[Flible]

People who don't help themselves won't receive my help!

[RedBaird]

Here its nearly $15 for a pack of 20.

 

I used to smoke three packs a day.  That would be $45/ day, $1350/month and $16,200 a year!

[Krusnik87]

I used to smoke three packs a day.  That would be $45/ day, $1350/month and $16,200 a year!

I wasn't on same amount, but back in 2007 i used to smoke 2 packs per night (as i worked during night and we could smoke while working).

 

Now i did decrease by far one paquet every two days

 

______________

 

 

Anyway back to topic,

 

Don't forget that nicotine is a drug, and to overcome it you better be in good conditions as stoping it does increase mental stress a lot. So imagine, smokers loosing their homes. Do you really think that they could stop?

I now that they need money to survive and so on. But some, at some points doesnt give a sh*t about eating or not, and prefer to at least destress themselves with nicotine.

 

(dunno if what i wrote is understanble/has any meaning in english though xD kinda complicated, even more if i have to explain all physiological/metabolism effects too :/ )