Shopping613- From the posts I was reading, it sounded as though people were painting smoking in very black and white terms and implying that if someone picks up a cigarette, it is like taking poison and completely assur.
It could be you are right, but in that case people should be clearer about what they mean.
I do think that most bochurim who smoke do so as a short-term thing with the intention of quitting when they get married (or start dating), and most of them are in fact able to quit.