Will Self and Gregor Hens on nicotine, smoking, vaping and more.

Gregor Hens discusses his book, Nicotine, and the joys and perils of smoking, with Will Self. Filmed at the London Review Bookshop on 10 November 2015. Find out more about events at the London Review Bookshop: www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk...
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[@KhelderB]

I've smoked because I was full, and I've smoked because I was hungry. I've smoked because I was glad, and I've smoked because I was depressed. I've smoked out of loneliness and out of friendship. Out of fear and out of exuberance. Every cigarette that I've ever smoked served a purpose. They were a signal, medication, a stimulant or a sedative. They were a plaything, an accessory, a fetish object. Something to help pass the time. A memory aid, communication tool or an object of meditation. Sometimes they were all of those things at once. I no longer smoke but there are still moments when I can think of nothing but cigarettes, this is one of those moments.

[@hettascott-baker1639]

I’m a long term chronic smoker. The reason why I still love a smoke is it evokes lovely memories when I was a nurse in the wonderful mental asylums.

[@lifeshorts1928]

I could listen to Will for another hour.

[@lifeshorts1928]

Azureecosse Haha, fair enough. He MUST know that many of the words he says mean nothing to his audience, but despite this, I still enjoy hearing the things he has to say.

[@gutterdandy9173]

He's a junkie as well -- back on the skag

[@marijnvanbeers-ev7sc]

I could listen to Will for another cigarette!

[@rsb8380]

I don’t think has aged particularly well for Self. He wrote this year about how he’s been diagnosed with cancer likely smoking-related. Quite a lethal cancer. His views on his own smoking in a recent article are that he’s made a huge stupid mistake.

[@industrialharbour]

Self creates a delicious undead mystique in the cigarette, its deathly cancer giving becomes quality and artistic, his joy in the whole format enlivens and animates him like nothing else.

[@HkFinn83]

For anyone interested, that feeling of smoking strong pipe tobacco is a lot like smoking pot the way it’s smoked in the UK/Europe. Mixing it (pot) with tobacco (the ‘spliff’) kills the psychoactive effect and gives this powerful headrush/nausea. It’s also kinda like smoking a cigarette when you haven’t for years.

[@Zaranathax]

It's a pity that this descended into a discussion of health issues and how to quit. The modern narrative of smoking is centred around this and not much more. The woman at the back seemed to want to explore other aspects of smoking, which from the first half is where I thought this was going. Gregor has a very refreshing attitude towards smoking which by the end was rather drowned out by the Will and Doc show. It would have been nice to hear some views from the audience about their relationships with nicotine - not just the struggle to quit but the whole breadth of experiences and stories.

[@simonperry8569]

Gregor looks mighty peed off when it became the doctor and Will show towards the end. Ah well, that's show business Hens - get some better jokes.

[@TheYking90]

how did I get from the deadpool trailer to here??

[@chriscl100]

When Will says at 1:10:09 'you need to hold it near the region of your mouth' you can hear someone in the background shout out 'like a cigarette!'

[@Jixejo]

i think that the prevelence and 'style' (bar/seats/products/etc) of the new vape-bars, (vapecafe's) are in fact intended as a precursor for the real smoking: cannabis, the endlessly avoided important topic: cannabis legalisation, and its murky always apparently soon to be legalised status. i think the vape cafes are in fact there to pave the way to become cannabis cafe's when at last cannabis is legalised.

[@loydwebber5456]

My cigarette smoking habit from 1995 to 2015. Started out at 2 to 3 per day, progressed to 4 to 7 per day after a couple of years, and finally was 7 to 10 per day in the last couple of years. So I would (slightly over) estimate an average of 7 per day over 20 years. Calculating: 7X365 = 2555 per year, 2555X20 = 51100 cigarettes approximately over about 20 years. My brand was More Menthol which has the highest nicotine of any brand in Canada; so I smoked 4 to 7 per day most of those years.

[@loydwebber5456]

If the doctors think any amount of smoke is harmful then why do they endorse smoked medical cannabis which produces smoke that is much more irritating than cigarettes? As for vaping, I did it for a while, and found the vapor non-irritating. And what is all this medical petty tyranny about smoking being something we do to children? It can't all be about pregnant smokers, which is over blown - except for heavy smokers. But that can't be as bad as what doctors do to inter sex children.

[@Jixejo]

if the doctor says such things and it all-encompassing addiction is noticed: then surely as a world of farmers we can grow up and produce organic tobacco, (with no other strange substances added, or herbicides/pesticides) ~ all doctors worth their salt will know that if you do take a food or a drink or a smoke, than minimal risk consumption is the best option, which always means organic, rather than endangering health via put-off techniques such as adding risky chemicals to cigerettes to make them less-palatable. in the similar way that organic food is better for you , and good quality organic wine/beer/etc is better for you. vape is more dubious, as it is a metal tube, more refined chemical consumption, and is a less-pure form of nature.

[@tomclark15]

51:04 55:46

[@christopherbrookfield4785]

To be fair, Will did say that he was completely monged out with a pipe full of tobacco, not stoned, but this event does get slightly tedious towards the end of the questions, when it seems to turn into a contest between the lung doctor and Will. Gregor begins to look quite disgruntled. Hitler was a vegetarian. Isn't that a bit weird. ❤

[@zetetick395]

( 58:00 ) is that Nick Papadimitriou : Londons "Deep Topology" doyen I hear waxing lyrical about the 'All New' Nicorette 6mg dose? XD - Niiceone! kzbin.info/www/bejne/in-qpJ55g9d1frs ("The London Perambulator" - *Always* worth a watch if you haven't seen it!)

[@silverapples75]

Who else.

[@aliofly]

good shout

[@gutterdandy9173]

Self likes chasing the dragon when it comes to smoking.

[@bankruptbritain6103]

I really like Will Self but an hour and a half.....i'm 45 next month, life's too short.....

[@zetetick395]

You really should start looking after yourself better, you're looking a little beat up, mr happy face.... (especially now you're 'getting ommm' in life - hur hur!)

[@zetetick395]

I much rather listen to this conversational Will over the speechifying Will

[@Jixejo]

i don't know how many weimar republic films you have or have not seen Gregor & Will, BUT the cigerette and tobacco consumption is enormous in almost all of the UfA films. - it is also very prevelant in the dada-ist and grosz etc art. but then again, the entire culture was a total total mess for quite a while..

[@phelimheming8593]

We live in a society where Benedict Cumberbatch is handsome, Dan Brown is a great author, Alan Carr is witty,Donal McIntyre is an incisive journalist, Miranda Hart is funny, Kiera Knightley is pretty, Lena Dunham is a comic writer, invesment bankers know what they are doing, politicians are honest, heart logos are culturally innovative and creative, DLT twanging somebody's bra strap in 1983 (or not) is a news item, Jeremy Kyle is moral, everything tastes better between masses of coriander and sourdough, Sue Perkins is talented, beards are cool in all weathers, the Clash are "the only band that matters", Iain Duncan Smith is a worthy and productive member of society, and Phil Mitchell from Eastenders is "really, really sexy". TALENTLESS IS THE NEW TALENTED, and I am glad that Will Self Abuser serves well as a critic of the awful hipster culture of the contrived posh kids and yobboes that dominate us now.

[@1thousandways]

+Phelim Heming May I suggest "Richard Dawkins is an intellectual" as an addition to your list?

[@phelimheming8593]

1thousandways Also Noel Gallagher is a music expert. Ha ha

[@phelimheming8593]

ANPHKI What do you mean by a bad sense of grammar? Was I supposed to say Noel Gallagher was a music expert, instead of musical expert? A moot point, as he is neither. The YTS Britpop band Oasis Quo sounded like the Beattles might have sounded like if Ringo Starr had written their material.

[@phelimheming8593]

ANPHKI Fuck off you talentless Scally.

[@empfrench]

Yes.

[@celestialteapot3310]

Car exhaust... where's the shame?

[@Jixejo]

what the shaman's will tell you about tobacco is that they are from a genus of plants (The Nightshade family (Solanaecea) and that they are a type of plants that want to TAKE human beings into their world forever. such plants include those that are most prevelant in our culture and were almost used and taken by humans without choice! the most 'addictive' of all plants humans use: Potatoes (what is more prevelant than chips!) the plants take us hostage into their world and won't let us leave., tomatoes (in every food!), tobacco, daturas!, Chillies ! ~ that is that 'charcter' of the spirits that live in this genus of plants, they want to play for keeps with humans. ~ i don't know about hendrix, because its not my cup of tea, but i feel i am always there in an old hollywood or silent film :)

[@Jixejo]

my real question is why are we so backwards on cannabis? and can integrate it the same way as drinking and smoking tobacco please :)

[@andrewspyrou9856]

Will and 'the Doc'. Get a room why don't you?

[@jakobsikes4491]

Will Self. outing pipe smokers as closet dope fiends haha

[@Jixejo]

the thing is Will, that Alistar Campbell also knows there is no evidence that vaping is less harmful than smoking the leaves! IN FACT! the pure leaves (american spirit) are closer to nature ! and thus probably better for a mammal. vape is a metal tube, and a concerntrated, processed chemical ! i'd rather have nature any day : ) ~ and trust me, i know alot about film noir, expressionism and my entire lifestyle has changed to be like a smoking silent film star, even my career, because of this freaking plant. (also cannabis,) which is just even better than tobacco but still Stttttttrrrrrrrrannngeeellyy still more taboo : )

[@yeahboi4684]

You’re weird