And advice from those having first-hand knowledge and experience would carry more conviction

The thrust is on the issue that one should not be a smoker. Telling others not to smoke is less important. One’s own attitudes and predilections are far more important that just giving advice unless giving advice is either ones profession or avocation..

Of course, if a teacher or a priest gives advice, or a parent gives advice to his offspring it is understandable.

No one can say what one should do. One can give advice, and do many more things too.

What I wanted to drive home was just that one should apply life principles, good or bad in himself and test it for himself and then he will be equipped to advise others.

And advice from those having first-hand knowledge and experience would carry more conviction that advices from those who are having hearsay knowledge only.

न हि वन्ध्या विजानाति गुर्वीं प्रसव वेदनां..

In life there are not should nots. Anything is possible.

I was just explaining some views. Sure, it is not any disrespect or dissent from what you say. I am just pondering a different angle. Nothing meant as personal disrespect. Opinions and views are just opinions and views. No reflection on the individual respect of the person holding the view.

There are no rights or wrongs in absolute terms. There are no such rigid dicta even in Vedas and Shastras. We can find some adage to support one view on some occasion and diametrically opposite view on some other occasion.

वेदा विभिन्नाः स्मृतयो विभिन्नाः

However, human decency always demands that if a situation would cause greater damage to someone else than that would do for us then we can accept some disadvantage too. We actually do that for our family and friends. I just meant that we cannot control what Modi or Raga or Trump says or does but we can surely do what we honestly feel as right.