On “Friends,” Chandler first started smoking at age nine. He connects the habit with the emotional shock of his parents’ divorce, a painful childhood event that becomes part of his explanation for why he began smoking so young.
Chandler’s smoking is treated as both a serious habit and a recurring source of comedy. His friends criticize him when he breaks a three-year non-smoking streak early in the series, and several episodes show him struggling with cigarettes even when he wants to quit. The joke is especially pointed because Chandler often uses sarcasm to avoid discussing difficult feelings.
His most dramatic relapse comes during season nine, when his work in Oklahoma exposes him to colleagues who smoke during meetings. He says he smoked three cartons in three days, an exaggerated escalation from his earlier habit. Chandler later promises Monica that he will stop again. The age nine detail is not a guess based on his adult behavior; it is the character’s own stated backstory.