3 min read
The Cigarette and the Fisherman: Nicotine at Sea
Commercial fishing has one of the highest smoking rates of any profession. The isolation, the danger, the boredom—the cigarette at sea is a companion, a ritual, and one of the few pleasures available in a harsh environment.
On a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea, the cigarette is one of the few comforts available. The work is dangerous, the hours are brutal, and the isolation is absolute. **Smoking rates among commercial fishermen are among the highest of any profession. The cigarette is a coping mechanism for the specific conditions of maritime labor—conditions that cessation support, designed for land-based populations, does not address.**
