抽烟： means verb “somke” 烟：means noun ”cigarettes“ 抽 [chōu]：means ”to draw out to smoke (cigarettes) to pump“

Hi Hannah, Here is the best example that you can tell them apart easily. How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? 你一天抽几根烟？ You can see that 抽 is a Verb and 烟 is a Noun. Smoke a cigarette 抽一根烟. 抽=smoke, 烟=cigarette （in this context） .................................................................................................................................. In some cases, 烟 = smoke (Uncountable Noun) Go to your kitchen and you will find a range hood, which is used to suck odors and smoke from your cooking as well as remove the smell of cooking. Range hood 抽烟机, fume sucker 抽烟机 抽=suck, 烟=smoke or fume（in this case）

Actually 抽 means "to draw". It's appropriate to be translated as that. But it can also means "to smoke" just like what you mentioned. In my opinion, it's better to use 抽烟 when you refer to "to smoke". And as what I know 烟 means "smoke or cigarette" itself (it is a noun). Hope it helps :D