Ironically, as someone who smokes I think smoking has saved me from the noise. Before it was a way to socialize but now it has a social stigma and I generally smoke alone. Instead of getting distracted and opening a new tab on hacker news I'll go outside and smoke and think about the problem I'm working on. Smoking gives measured distractions, as opposed to random phone surfing and messaging. I don't do that. I'm fine sitting two hours at the auto mechanic waiting for my car with no phone, but halfway through I'm going to go outside and smoke.
I quit a couple months ago, because lately I find that the toll of the vice outweighs the pleasure of it. But I haven't quit taking smoke breaks, because they're far too useful to give up for precisely the reasons you describe.
