Usually they are set on fire and the smoke inhaled. Unfortunately the smoke contains chemicals widely known to reduce fitness, health, and to cause lung and throat cancer.

Funny thing is that these dangers have been widely known for about 50 years, and many people still smoke.

It is tempting to simply observe that 'you can't be intelligent and smoke at the same time', but in fact many intelligent people smoke, even knowing the dangers. Clearly they derive some benefit from it, probably from the main drug in the smoke, nicotine.

Of course this doesn't stop them calling themselves victims when they get cancer. They claim that they didn't know that the cigarettes were harmful because the tobacco companies told them they weren't. It's true that the tobacco companies said they weren't, but no reasonable man (or woman) believed them - even 40 years ago.

Of course the strategy works because of the jury payout mentality.

The increasingly severe warnings on the packets of cigarettes, and the enormous and increasing amount of advertising about the health risks of smoking further undermine the credibility of those tho claim they didn't know, but whether this has any real effect remains to be seen.