Oklahoma in third place

[cannon_fodder]

When I worked in the service industry (retail or restaurant) I don't think the proportion of smokers was any different (I've never habitually smoked).  My wife works retail still and I'd hazard to guess fewer of her employees smoke than the 25% average in Oklahoma.   The "crappy job so I smoke" things makes some sense... but many lawyers, accountants, and other professionals will tell you they are very unhappy with their jobs too and statistically they smoke half as much.

And my friends that are mechanics, oil field hands, or operating engineers - with lower education but in the later two cases higher wages than many professionals, seem to smoke more than the 25% average.  So it doesn't appear to be wages or job satisfaction... but education itself.  Which seems odd.

Perhaps it is socially acceptable for a cook to go out back and smoke or a crane operator to smoke between lifts but a Doctor, attorney, or office manager would find it cumbersome or socially unacceptable? 

[custosnox]

It was kind of symbolic for me.  I was at work on a break with two cigs left in my pack.  I smoked one, and broke the last one in half and threw it away.  That was January 7 2007.  I tried smokeless in May, and quit around Memorial Day.  If you can really call it quit.  I wound up giving the can to a friend of mine after using it twice.

EDIT;  Actually it was the 17th.  The 7th was a Sunday and I don't work on Sunday.

I bought a pack and was told that they were going up to five bucks a pack later that day, and I looked the guy in the eye and said "that's alright, because this is my last pack".  I made that pack last several weeks, don't remember when I finally finished the last one.  I had a bit of trouble with it at first because my two closest friends smoke and we would hang out and drink.  After a couple of times of this and me grabbing a drag off of theirs for me to start avoiding it all together, or have a cigar handy.

[dbacks fan]

You all are bunch of quitters aren't you?

[Hoss]

You all are bunch of quitters aren't you?

Everyone hates a quitter...can't tell you how many times I heard that while I was trying to..

[Conan71]

I used the old "rehab is for quitters" joke on a guy once.  Then I realized it was Steve Pryor.  Ooops.  Anyone seen him around lately?

[Teatownclown]

I used the old "rehab is for quitters" joke on a guy once.  Then I realized it was Steve Pryor.  Ooops.  Anyone seen him around lately?

All the time...he's doing great. Last week at the Colony with Les Paul Benjamin, Jessie Aycock, Dustin Pittsley and the horn player from GO GO PLumbay. It was terrific. He's been doing toned down shows at Bodean and Dusty Dog with his bandmates Lloyd "the right" Price, "skin tight" David White, and Damon Daniels on skins.

Catch 'em while you can. My friends come off planes to Tulsa and their first question is "where's Pryor playing?"

Sometimes, this town has the best sound. Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart 'cause I can hear it beat out loud!

Morouse was living here for awhile...use to play for Stevie Wonder

[TheArtist]

  We had Denny and Annie Ellicott at last years Deco Ball fundraiser for the Tulsa Art Deco Museum.  Great sound.

[jacobi]

So it doesn't appear to be wages or job satisfaction... but education itself. 

I guess what I meant was the culture that surrounds the service industry supports it.  I know that if I go back to work at a coffeeshop or a kitchen or a even a grocery store, I will take it back up.  No doubt.

Also, in my time in the kitchen, non-smokers (both front of house and back of house) were most definitely the minority.

Also, lawers and accountants maybe unhappy but they can have a sense of achievment that one cannot get by serving a bunch of ungrateful petite bourgeois spawn 6-7 nights a week.

As to your statement about education, concider the amount of nurses that smoke.  They certainly have a high level of education but it has always been my experience that nurses are the most likley to sound like female bailiffs on night court.