This is obvious, but it needs to be mentioned.
The only thing that tobacco use does is put money in the pockets of people who could make money in a way that does not prey on an addiction while causing untold grief to individuals, families, businesses, and communities. It does nothing good for society or individuals.
The tobacco companies have other businesses from which they can and do make money. The farmers who grow tobacco could grow food crops to feed those who need food. The government of the United States should not subsidize the growth of a product that costs billions in health care and lost productivity due to tobacco users being generally less healthy than the rest of the population.
That said, this blog is about children and their learning from adults. We can say all we want that children should do as they are told not as they see, but children are much smarter than that. The evidence is all around the children that smoking and other tobacco use is bad for the health of the users and those around them. For reference to research on tobacco use, please refer to this well-annotated Wikipedia article.
To teach children the right lesson, tobacco users should be doing everything they can to stop the addiction to nicotine that such use satisfies. Families should be doing everything they can to assist family members with a nicotine addiction. Our government and employers should be providing assistance for tobacco users to stop. Many such programs are available, but more are needed.
Don't try to fool your children, they are much too smart for that. Tobacco use does not have a good outcome.
Let's teach our children the right lesson and work to eradicate the health hazard that tobacco consumption in all its forms has become.