I read articles and threads on this subject on this site (and sometimes others), and I am stunned by something. The same bochurim would go out on a limb for the latest chumroh, would plead the case for learning 20 hours a day, would think lowly of someone who chose to pursue a career to provide for his family and support mosdos, and would reject various hechsherim as not stringent enough. But smoking, pronounced a violation of a mitzvas lo saaseh by countless poskim, is something they will indulge in. I have heard several claim that Reb Moshe Feinstein ZT”L was matir smoking – a vicious lie. Let’s pretend that the issur of smoking was not min haTorah, but miderabonon, or maybe a chumroh. Should not a bochur who seeks chumros in every other part of life follow this for smoking?
It is clear to me that the chumroh game is insincere, and is more about a display for others than about Yiras Shomayim.
The hypocrisy is stunning, and I am puzzled why our Roshei Yeshivoh are not consistent with rejecting such bochurim from their yeshivos, as they would be with someone with a fully filtered smartphone.