i'm not sure about canada but the whole cost to the health sector argument is void in the UK. the money cigarette sales bring in to the government through tax outweighs the cost to the NHS by quite a bit.
i've given up now but i used to smoke, i enjoyed it, i never really found them to be addicting and didn't find it hard to stop at all. i just realised it was having an effect on my sports so quit.
i don't think its idiotic at all, just as drinking or getting high aren't idiotic