……… . Young people regard it as a prestige symbol, a sign of adult status. Once the habit is established, the ritual of lighting up somehow relieves tension. Then again, to offer a cigarette is a gesture of goodwill, like shaking hands; a sharing of cigarettes is a way of establishing a bond of sympathy. The trouble is that smoking is a dangerous habit which is best avoided, for all the evidence points to the same conclusion, that smoking is bad for one's health.