Right,
There are too many posts already for me to wade through each one but here are my thoughts:
I'm sure its just a rumour; I don't think even BA are quite ready to ban smokers from their ranks.
This is a complete fuss over nothing and I fail to see how a nicotine addiction could pose a threat to the safety of a flight. To get onto an airline flight deck, a pilot will have spent a lot of time in the air. You can't smoke whilst flying an aircraft. If they hadn't learnt to hold the urge whilst functioning normally as a commander then they wouldn't make it there in the first place.
Yes it is a disgusting habit but we smokers do our best to stop it upsetting you non's as much as possible. Whoever said you had to choose between smoking or flying was talking out of their tailpipe. Just use a bit of common sense. Cut down if you have to.
Happy flying,
BAW22