It "always" appears safe! Believe me! I believed this too for all my college years.. and beyond! Cigarettes at 14 years of age, safe; only nicotine; if not 14, I'll give you time till 17. whichever year, it does not really seem to matter. In fact, it's cool, right? I'd be willing to go to the other extreme that it's down-right rude and un-cool, not to-be on nicotine!
Now you have this large cross-section to choose from: Will I hang around with this crowd doing the Malboro's or will it be hep-er to be with the Charm's crowd? sorry, sorry it was not Charm's then, but the cheapest, dirty-orange coloured Charminar's, white, un-filtered,with the10 paise to the cigarette! Could not calculate the price of the packet then! Had just entered college. What age are we talking about, man!