Why didn't anyone smoke?

[Christopher]

^Who had no lines.

 

[scotpens]

Roddenberry was aware that smoking was an unhealthy habit, and yes, he was very forward-thinking in choosing to present a future that had eradicated it . . . In TNG, he tried to do the same with alcohol by postulating that harmless "synthehol" had taken its place.

That stupid "synthehol" was taking Political Correctness TOO FAR! I mean, what's the point of something that tastes like alcohol but doesn't get you drunk?

 

[Alrik]

But Roddenberry dug in his heels and held to the idea that smoking would likely be eliminated by the time of Star Trek. Much like keeping Spock, having a asian navigator, and casting a black woman, he won the battle.

The idea that Roddenberry was a champion of racial inclusion battling a prejudiced network is part of the myth Roddenberry generated himself. Inside Star Trek reveals (and backs this up with actual network memos) that NBC was in fact strongly in favor of more diverse casting in their shows, and indeed one of the reasons they rejected most of the cast from "The Cage" is that it fell short of the diversity Roddenberry promised them. It's true that they objected to Spock, but otherwise they were on the same page as Roddenberry when it came to diversity, and in fact pushed him to do better in that regard. (I mean, the only hint of diversity in the "Cage" cast is that the blond navigator Tyler has a Hispanic first name -- which is never even used onscreen!)

You mean to tell me that Roddenberry could be self promoting? Say it ain't so.

But seriously, that is an interesting tidbit about the casting, and I don't doubt you a bit. But I do remember in an early interview somewhere, that he was dead set against smoking on the Enterprise and that the studio had initially pushed for it but eventually gave in.

 

[Alrik]

That stupid "synthehol" was taking Political Correctness TOO FAR! I mean, what's the point of something that tastes like alcohol but doesn't get you drunk?

The idea behind synthehol was that it did taste like the real thing and made you feel the same effects, but if need be, could simply be shaken off.

 

[Timewalker]

Do they allow smoking on board ships in the Navy? Or specifically, inside the ships? Could be a point of realism for crewmen to be forbade smoking due to unnecessary strain on the life support system (wouldn't be much, but it would be a logical reason to ban smoking on board starships).

BINGO!!!

If you were stuck in a closed atmospheric system like a starship that only had recycled air to breathe, wouldn't it be in your best interests to keep that air as clean as possible?

If you want Star Trek stories that feature smoking, check out the Valjiir fanfic - the characters in that series regularly get high on a smoked substance called "Rigellian."

 

[Myasishchev]

I'm stuck on a starship that only uses recycled air, but I smoke.

On the 24th century shows, at least, replicators would make dirty air a non-problem. Presumably whatever air systems were on the 23d century ships could readily recycle CO2 into O2 and deal with the yuck that occasions any biological activity, so I don't see why CO or airborne ash would be any more difficult to deal with.

I don't imagine lung cancer was much of a problem for the 23d or 24th centuries, either, so it's not a health concern. I reckon it was just eliminated as a habit, which appears to be the situation we're heading for in the U.S. at least, where some zealots would just as soon annihilate smoking as an abstract concept, and where its social popularity has rather greatly diminished, perhaps rightly. We'll see whether improvements in medicine reverse that trend, or if the time of tobacco is over.

Of course, let's not forget St. John Talbot--a Federation ambassador no less! Big smoker.

 

[Timewalker]

I'm stuck on a starship that only uses recycled air, but I smoke.

I was unaware that we have starships at the moment... unless you are posting from the International Space Station?

Of course, let's not forget St. John Talbot--a Federation ambassador no less! Big smoker.

He wasn't serving on a starship.

 

[scotpens]

Do they allow smoking on board ships in the Navy? Or specifically, inside the ships?

I don't know what Navy policy is regarding smoking aboard surface ships, but as to submariners indulging the habit, check out this thread (starting with post #7):

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=238340

 

[Myasishchev]

I'm stuck on a starship that only uses recycled air, but I smoke.

I was unaware that we have starships at the moment... unless you are posting from the International Space Station?

Hell of a view from here.

But I do seriously doubt the NCC-1701 is running on rebreathers and O2 tanks. They have the available energy and means to establish an oxygen cycle, so comparing it in that regard to Earth's biosphere isn't entirely facetious. The later vessels are very clearly running a carbon cycle as well as an oxygen cycle, so it's even more germane there.

Of course, let's not forget St. John Talbot--a Federation ambassador no less! Big smoker.

He wasn't serving on a starship.[/QUOTE]

Sure. But all I'm saying is, he was a 23d century human who smoked (the only afaik).

 

[Kegg]

^
Probably supports my hypothesis that non-smoking may be requiste for Starfleet service, since the 'no smoking' sign in #2 indicates smoking is common enough for it to be prohibited in places.

Hell as far as that goes Earth of the future is more leinent than Ireland of the present, where any public indoor area is automatically no-smoking.

 

[Pauln6]

This was one of the things that annoyed me about Battlestar Galactica. They're in a rag-tag fugitive fleet with limited food, limited water, limited ability to purify and recycle air and yet they think it's a good idea to turn over a significant part of hydroponics to keep growing tobacco? Unless were supposed to believe that Doc Cottle smuggled 10 years' worth of fags on board when he escaped the destruction of the colonies? At the rate he smoked?

In TOS at least the ship did not have unlimited resources - they had protein synthesisors but much of their fresh food was grown in hydroponics (at least I'm aware that in TMP the ship had a hydroponics bay and some crew on the Rec Deck are in Luke Skywalker-style hydroponics outfits). They couldn't regenerate their dilithium like in TNG either. Smoking on board would be a waste of resources. Plus they only have one toilet. Where would people go while on duty?

 

[Kegg]

This was one of the things that annoyed me about Battlestar Galactica. They're in a rag-tag fugitive fleet with limited food, limited water, limited ability to purify and recycle air and yet they think it's a good idea to turn over a significant part of hydroponics to keep growing tobacco?

Morale. It made them look cool.

 

[Timewalker]

I'm stuck on a starship that only uses recycled air, but I smoke.

I was unaware that we have starships at the moment... unless you are posting from the International Space Station?

Hell of a view from here.

Oh, you're on the Russian space station?

Yes, I saw Contact and recognize the line. John Hurt did a wonderful job of playing S.R. Haddon, didn't he?

Plus they only have one toilet.

When did they get one of those?

 

[Greg Cox]

This was one of the things that annoyed me about Battlestar Galactica. They're in a rag-tag fugitive fleet with limited food, limited water, limited ability to purify and recycle air and yet they think it's a good idea to turn over a significant part of hydroponics to keep growing tobacco?

Morale. It made them look cool.

Do you really want an entire fleet going cold turkey?

Those people were near the breaking point already!

 

[scotpens]

. . . In TOS at least the ship did not have unlimited resources - they had protein synthesisors but much of their fresh food was grown in hydroponics (at least I'm aware that in TMP the ship had a hydroponics bay and some crew on the Rec Deck are in Luke Skywalker-style hydroponics outfits).

According to The Making of Star Trek:

. . . the Enterprise has extensive food storage areas with preservation techniques that maintain food in "garden-fresh condition" over extended periods of time. Hydroponic food growing is not necessary and would use a disproportionate amount of manpower. There are, of course, hydroponics tanks aboard that are part of the botany laboratories. There is also a section where crew members can prepare individual dishes if they wish — an activity that comes under the heading of "recreation."

Of course, with Star Trek, nothing is ever set in stone.

Plus they only have one toilet. Where would people go while on duty?

I assume you mean on the bridge, not on the entire ship! And that bridge restroom first appeared in the Franz Joseph Enterprise plans published in the mid-1970s.

 

[Christopher]

Do you really want an entire fleet going cold turkey?

Those people were near the breaking point already!

One of the interesting things about Stargate Universe is that they're addressing the fact that if you take a bunch of present-day Americans and strand them on an alien ship, they're going to end up suffering withdrawal from things like nicotine, caffeine, and sleeping pills, and it's going to affect their behavior in potentially dangerous ways. That's a nice touch of realism.

 

[Timo]

Hell as far as that goes Earth of the future is more leinent than Ireland of the present, where any public indoor area is automatically no-smoking.

Then again, perhaps every building, park, forest and stretch of ocean on Earth is marked with a "no smoking" sign?

Perhaps smoking is allowed elsewhere in the Federation, but Earthlings and/or humans are forbidden from partaking. It's not as if we have ever seen a smoking human in Star Trek, except in flashbacks and dream sequences relating to pre-21st century events.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Clancy_s]

This was one of the things that annoyed me about Battlestar Galactica. They're in a rag-tag fugitive fleet with limited food, limited water, limited ability to purify and recycle air and yet they think it's a good idea to turn over a significant part of hydroponics to keep growing tobacco?

Morale. It made them look cool.

More infantile than cool, to my eyes.

 

[Pauln6]

This was one of the things that annoyed me about Battlestar Galactica. They're in a rag-tag fugitive fleet with limited food, limited water, limited ability to purify and recycle air and yet they think it's a good idea to turn over a significant part of hydroponics to keep growing tobacco?

Morale. It made them look cool.

More infantile than cool, to my eyes.

Yup - I despise the notion that smoking makes ANYBODY look cool. It was a marketing ploy to get people hooked that took hold and has annoyed me constantly that Hollywood has pandered to the stereotype of the cool hard man or the cool seductress for so long.

Nobody smoked in LA Confidential - a movie set in an era when everybody smoked and it didn't harm the movie's story in any way. My favourite is Dead Again, where the cool, suave smoker is visited decades after the murders and he's in hospital with emphasima. Now THAT was cool.

I don't know a single smoker in their thirties to fifties that doesn't regret ever starting smoking. Battlestar Galactica needn't have featured any smokers then people wouldn't have had to worry about going cold turkey. I don't actually object to them showing characters smoking though, I object to the assumption that smoking could and should carry on as a casual pasttime when they had such limited resources. Good on Roddenberry for sticking to his guns.

 

[billsantos]

Guys, there actually are one or more Trek episodes where smoke is present but shouldn't be. I can't recall which episode I'm thinking of, but its when the camera is on either Shatner or Nimoy while either on the bridge or transporter room. Very subtly, you can see smoke going around their head. I think this can only be seen on the DVD because of the better resolution/ contrast. I never saw it on TV or VHS, but the smoke is definitely there. Might be The Enemy Within during the close ups on the evil Kirk after materialization, not sure.