Isn't smoking a terrible deal, even for smokers? If its just about the nicotine there are lots of ways to get it without ruining your lungs or arteries (inflammation is the easiest way to get heart disease).
As a former smoker: It's not just the nicotine, it's also about the ritual, the habit and the social component. Although the latter might have changed these days as smoking has become a lot less popular since then.