I've talked about this on the World Orthodoxy sites and I was wondering what the good folks over here have to say about it.
What are your thoughts on tobacco usage and how should the Church, if at all, handle it?
I know that many Saints such as St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. John Kronstandt, and St. Nectarios of Aegina even worked for a tobacco shop and is said to have chain-smoked like a madman. Tsar Nicholas II who's a canonized Passion-Bearer also smoked, and there's a picture of him allowing one of his daughters to smoke his pipe.
That being said, science has told us now that smoking anything is really unhealthy because of tar and TSNAs which come from the curing process of tobacco, and that's not even including the toxic chemicals that cigarette manufacturers add to their products, I don't think that this knowledge was available prior to the 20th century.
However, I am a strong supporter of Swedish Snus and I enjoy using it on occasion. Snus is a form of non-cured tobacco that is placed in a tea bag-like pouch called a "portion" and is placed behind the top lip. The Swedish government considers it a health product, and as such, it is extremely regulated. Swedish brands such as "General" (my favorite) are required to list the ingredients in their product, and instead of curing the tobacco (which produces TSNAs) they steam-pasteurize it which reduces the TSNAs down to almost nothing.
So far, despite several medicals studies, some funded by European governments, no health risks have been associated with Swedish Snus except for a slight risk of pancreatic cancer, which can be combated by spitting the juices of the tobacco.
Do you think God minds me enjoying nicotine? It relaxes me, and I enjoy using it when I'm falling asleep in the car listening to the Paraklesis to the Theotokos.