WTF? That's the worst thing you can do since early in the morning your body craves oxygen and the best thing you can literally do is to run a bit, ride a bicycle, walk a dog if you have one, just go outside and get some fresh air along with a light workout, then get back and drink a cup coffee that will get blood pumping through your lungs. Smoking in the morning when your body is trying to wake up and stretch is suffocating your cells.

In some countries smoking is in the decline, while in others it's on the rise. I know that in Russia most people smoke. It's the same in many former Soviet states like Bulgaria or Belarus.
Harsh environment and hard jobs make people look for ways to relax, take a break. Many employers allow workers to take cigarette breaks, maybe that's one of the reasons.