Cigarettes- European Accessory of Choice?

For the life of me, I cannot determine why cigarette use is increasingly more abundant in Europe than it is in America. It seems as though the cigarette is this seasons hot accessory, gracing the fingers of many a person. The air contains a consistent fragrance of smoke, mixed in with the food aromas and smells in the surrounding area. 

Throughout my life, I have been shown infomercials and power points and fliers about how bad smoking is for you. It can cause lung cancer, and contains rat poison and nicotine. I feel that the amount of people who smoke has drastically decreased in my generation and the previous few in the United States. Is the difference that the younger generations in Europe did not receive the same anti-smoking propaganda that we did? Or do these young people see those who are successful and wealthy and beautiful smoking cigarettes and want to do the same? 

It shocks me even more to see that the older generations (60+) and the younger generations (30-) are smoking but the middle ages are not. The older people smoking makes sense, as a result of years of addiction and not being able to quit. I still cannot figure out why the younger generations smoke as much as I have seen the past week. I wish I knew why, but unfortunately I don't. If anyone has any insight please let me know, I'm extremely curious about this topic now. 

*i am in no way, shape or form condoning smoking or saying that it is an acceptable behavior, especially in those underage.