The Socio-Cultural Determinants of Cigarette Smoking in Poland in the Years 1974-2019

Abstract

The aim of the article is to look at the functioning of smokers through the prism of formal and informal standards that define this activity. The observation covered the period from 1974 – i.e. from the introduction of the first restrictions on smoking – to 2019, when this practice, although still legal, seems to be widely regarded as a deviation. The first part of the article focuses on the standards that define the ‘space’ of this activity, both physical and social. Part Two addresses the issue of changes in the moral status of smoking. Among other things, the content of warning messages posted on tobacco packaging was discussed, proving that smokers are accused of much more than just the lack of concern for health. Part Three is devoted to the careers of smokers (and what motivates individuals to smoke), and the fourth part concerns the issue of how smokers reconcile this practice with the care for health, which is a universally recognised norm. The basis of these considerations includes both the existing data (legal acts, nationwide social research) and empirical data obtained from smokers, collected with the use of the free interview technique. Qualitative research was conducted on a sample of 36 people, diversified in terms of the selected socio-demographic characteristics. The narratives of smokers constitute both the material illustrating the ‘smoking culture’ over the past decades and a source of data on the factors that are actually shaping this culture.