Cigarette smoke has anti-inflammatory properties. Way long ago, it used to be considered helpful for asthma, because it lowered the inflammation. Tobacco smoke lowers the immune response, which in pneumonia can be the source of symptoms, same with asthma.
When my step mother quit smoking, she immediately began to have allergy problems she’d never had before.
Yep. Same with my mom. No problems until she quit smoking, then developed Chron’s disease. Not to mention, she put on weight which she still carries. As a doctor, I always tell people to not smoke. But the fact of the matter is smoking has SOME beneficial effects. For example in schizophrenics. The long term effects are bad, obviously. But there’s a reason people have smoked for centuries. They were getting some kind of medicinal relief.