The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word FAGS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
F
A
G
S
More clues leading to the result FAGS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Nothing good comes on beginning to smoke them" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case nothing good comes on beginning to smoke them = fags.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FAGS mean?
FAGS noun- In textile inspections, a rough or coarse defect in the woven fabric.
- (dated in US and Canada) A cigarette.
- The worst part or end of a thing.
- A chore: an arduous and tiresome task.
- A younger student acting as a servant for senior students.
- (usually offensive, sometimes affectionate) A homosexual man, especially (usually derogatory) an especially effeminate or unusual one.
- An annoying person.