Man has perverted the very pleasures of the senses. For the sense of smell and taste, and partly for the breath itself, he has invented and burns almost incessantly a sharp and fragrant smoke, bringing this kind of constant incense to the demon living in the flesh, infecting the air of his dwelling and the external air with this smoke, and first of all he himself is saturated with this stench – and here you have the constant coarsening of your feeling and your heart, constantly absorbed by the smoke constantly absorbed, cannot but affect the subtlety of the heart's feeling. it imparts to him carnality, coarseness, sensuality.

St. John of Kronstadt

Tobacco relaxes the soul, multiplies and intensifies passions, darkens the mind, and destroys health by a slow death. Irritability and melancholy are a consequence of the sickness of the soul from tobacco smoking.

St. Ambrose of Optina

In 1905, the Athonite Elder Silouan spent several months in Russia, often visiting monasteries. On one of these journeys on the train, he took a seat opposite a merchant, who, with a friendly gesture, opened his silver cigarette case to him and offered him a cigarette.

Father Silouan thanked him for the offer, refusing to take a cigarette. Then the merchant began to say: "Is it not because, father, you refuse, that you consider it a sin? But smoking often helps in an active life; It is good to interrupt the tension in work and rest for a few minutes. It is convenient to have a business or friendly conversation when smoking and, in general, in the course of life..." And then, trying to convince Silouan's father to take a cigarette, he continued to speak in favor of smoking.

Then Father Silouan decided to say: "Sir, before you light a cigarette, pray, say one Lord's Prayer. To this the merchant answered: "Pray before smoking, no one goes." Father Silouan replied: "So, it is better not to do any work that is not preceded by unembarrassed prayer."