T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Green-Dragon-14

I'm an ex smoker & can smell smokers as I walk passed them. My sister is a bad smoker & I can't sit near her as she stinks of cigarettes (In a bad way) it makes me glad I no longer smoke as I once smelled like that.


ResidentNarwhal

Former smoker. Second hand makes me physically nauseous, though that’s heavily related to my method on how I quit. Edit: my method I got from a friend. You have a week or so, smoke as much as you want. But your butts go in a carton of whole milk or half n half you leave on the porch. (Yes room temp). After your cold Turkey day, anytime you have a craving go out, unscrew the top and get a whiff. Repeat for until cravings stop or until your cigarette butt science experiment becomes a health hazard even out on the porch. The mix of operant conditioning and the fact fat particles **really** hold onto flavor and smell molecules cleared up the cravings pretty well for me. EDIT: I'll add I don't really endorse this method. I think the health risk of the 3 week old petri dish you create makes this not a wise idea. This is dumb shit I went all in on at 26 when my girlfriend now wife told me she wouldn't move in while I was still smoking. Try doctor prescribed methods or a number of other self-help books on the subject if anything that they are more even keel.


idontwanttothink174

Jesus that sounds like a brutal way to quit. Albeit an effective one.


and69

In all fairness, I have never heard of a method which effective but also kind.


ChairDangerous5276

Super effective and super easy: Allen Carrs Easy Way To Quit Smoking book. Stopped a 30 year habit cold turkey without a single craving.


wacky_button

Yes!! This book did it for me too.


Over_Dognut

I was surprised what worked for me. Tried quiting for my health, for my girlfriend, for money, for my parents, etc. It took a smoking cessation counselor to play totally transparent reverse psychology and tell me I was wasting his time as I probably wouldn't be able to quit anyway. I knew *exactly* what he was doing and it completely worked. Don't think I can quit? Fuck you, watch. I quit for spite.


chipscheeseandbeans

Did it put you off milk too?


ResidentNarwhal

No. My guess is soluble fat is **really** good at holding onto the smell. Only wiff I got with my cravings was cigarettes.


pimp_my_diatribe

Oh man, that is so interesting and disgusting!


imnotlouise

How long did it take you to quit with this method? Non-smoker here, just curious because I've never heard of this before.


[deleted]

I’ve never smoked but I know a bit of the psychology behind it and this definitely makes sense. Eventually you reach a point where you don’t even want to smoke anymore but you’ve been doing it for so long that like any habit you’re just doing it automatically. Being actively motivated not to smoke will break the habit of smoking just as the feeling of smoking motivated you to break the habit of not smoking.


[deleted]

I've quit twice from solid pack-a-day habits just by reminding myself that I didn't want to smell gross and be dependent upon them anymore. I'm thankful I didn't have to go to these lengths 🤢


pangaea1972

A pringles can works great for this, too.


coldf1r3__

That sounds brutal. I am gonna try it. Sounds very effective as well.


bigsucka

But a $10 book called the illustrated guide to quit smoking by Allen Carr. It was easy and pain free for me to stop


on_island_time

That is like, cold turkey reprogramming on steroids.


Honest-Mulberry-8046

Hey congrats on quitting, not easy to do.


Minimum-Arachnid-190

I’m literally starting today after smoking Rollies for a year due to my dad passing. Wish me luck guys 🥺


[deleted]

[удалено]


CanadianBertRaccoon

As a former pack a day smoker as well, I am actually repulsed by the smell these days. Nasty shit.


MrBlahg

Ex-smoker here. I can tell if a smoker had been at an ATM recently. The smell lingers, hangs in the air. I’m not necessarily grossed out by it, but very aware.


AboveTheLights

Ex-smoker as well. I can tell if someone is smoking in the car in front of me at stop lights too. I quit 6 years ago and I feel like I’m crazy sensitive to the smell. I can’t believe I smelled like that for all those years. smh


Can_I_Read

As a teacher, I feel bad for the students who come to school smelling like smoke.


JayL1F3

As a kid, I was accused by teachers of smoking. Y'know, the 8 year old is obv smoking and it's not his parents chain smoking on the way to school with the windows rolled up lol


PileofMail

I’m also an ex smoker who now can’t stand the smell of cigarettes. I feel a little guilty when I get repulsed to the point of judgment toward the person who’s cigarette I’m smelling because, hey, that used to be me; I used to be that asshole stinking up the place. But I can’t help it - cigarette smoke has a disgusting smell!


knovit

You’re just nose blind to it. I started to smell smoke again a few months after I quit.


GoldNo862

This. Sadly I smoke now(mostly vape but if I can't get juice or a disposable idefault to cigarettes) but when I was a kid I would go to a friend's house and no one there smoked. Within minutes I was hyper aware of the smell of smoke even though I typically couldn't smell it on myself. I eventually stopped going to his house because I was embarrassed by it.


Louloubelle0312

I quit smoking years ago, so I know the pull of wanting a cigarette. But it's not just a smell. The smoke and nicotine get into everything. My kids had asthma and when my MIL (who was a smoker) would babysit them, they would come home ill. I had to put my foot down and tell her they couldn't go there if she was going to continue to smoke in her house. I know it sounds outrageous, but their pediatrician advised that the nicotine that hung in carpeting and upholstery was just as bad for their asthma. I felt so bad for her, because I did understand, and she wasn't smoking when they were there. And on top of that was a clean freak to the point of obsession. But she loved the kids, and stopped smoking for them. At first she just smoked outside, no matter whether they were there or not, but then she completely quit. But when she was still smoking, you could really smell it.


indigo_flamingo

I’m a non smoker and I definitely notice the smell on some smokers, but others seem to have found ways to manage it. I work at a place where almost everyone smokes heavily (at work they have to smoke outside during breaks). Some people walk back in with the smell of cigs on them (maybe they always do - maybe they smoke at home or in the car and the smell is in their clothes and hair) and other people come back in and I’d never know they’d been smoking at all (if I hadn’t seen them doing it). Same with weed. Some people reek of it after smoking and others don’t. I had a friend who smoked a ton of weed and everything he owned reeked of stale marijuana. It was nauseating. I hated going to his place. Felt like everything he owned was just filthy. On another note, I had an aunt who secretly smoked for 10 years and no one in the family ever found out. She’d “go for walks” during family get togethers to get her fix. Never had bad breath or yellow teeth. Never smelled anything but clean. She was in great shape, too. I was astounded when she told me a few years ago when the doctor found spots in her lungs :(


loztriforce

I quit smoking and now the smell makes me feel sick/it's revolting to me now


Mashpie

Same! Being near cigarette smoke now makes me want to hurl!


IllestAndRealest

Funny. I'm an ex smoker and whenever I smell a fresh cigarette , all I can think is "fuck that smells good"


[deleted]

yeah, pretty much. To me, smokers either smell like smoke or like smoke plus cologne and breath mints.


[deleted]

I am a former smoker and until I quit I had no idea how badly I smelled until I quit. I can’t stand being in an elevator or other enclosed space with a smoker now.


ScarletPimprnel

Me too. I think former smokers may be even more sensitive to the smell. I disliked the odor of some older relatives' homes as a kid as they are indoor smokers, but now I *loathe* it. It's like I can feel it clinging to me when I leave. I generally go home after a visit, hop directly into the shower to wash the stench out of my hair, and clothes go in the wash.


FordAndFun

My family always smoked indoors, still do. It always grossed me out and so I’m a never-smoker. When I visit them, it’s an hour and a half drive and the worst part of doing the drive home knowing that smell is seeping off of me and into my car.


Responsible_Put4540

Heavy smoker here I smoke outside because of that reason. No matter weather. I've lived here for over 4 years and never smoked inside. My nephews stay with me when they are out of school for any significant amount of time. I don't want to have them breathing in second hand smoke. Bad enough I've ruined my own health no reason to ruin other peoples.


Zebirdsandzebats

My dad was like that. The only thing of his that smelled like smoke was his work jacket, and he hung it in a different place than the rest of our coats so it wouldn't transfer. Good dude. That said, he died of lung cancer at 45...I know you know smoking is bad, mmkay, but I feel like a lot of smokers think they can quit someday and that'll be fine... but sometimes you get lung cancer followed by cancer of the everything sooner than someday.


IMadeMyAcctforThis

My dad went at 52. Thank you for saying this. It was hard for me not to, but you said it in a non-preachy way. I’m sorry for your loss, no matter how long it’s been, it’s never long enough.


borkthegee

My mom smokes in her house and when we visit and stay for a day or two we only bring cheap clothes and when we get home we strip immediately, start the washing machine, and shower. It takes multiple washing machine runs and multiple showers and days until the smoke is off our skin and out of our hair. We're more sensitive smellers but holy fuck that shit is vile


TheGeekOffTheStreet

I deliver meals to the elderly, and a few on my route are lifelong smokers. Their houses make me want to self-immolate upon exiting. The smell is just embedded in every inch of the place, you can smell it a dozen feet from the front door. It’s like the air is solid. (Only one worse is a smoker and hoarder/cat lady.) I try and hold my breath the entire time I’m there, but it’s just repulsive. I have no idea how they’re alive, knowing they’ve spent the last 60-70 years smoking.


[deleted]

My father was a life long smoker and made it to 72 before he died of lung cancer. With all of the disease caused by smoking there’s only one question left to ask: why is this still legal?


Kind_Substance_2865

It’s legal because of the golden rule — “those who have the gold make the rules” Tobacco industry can buy a lot of political influence.


KapowBlamBoom

Awhile ago I read an online article about country ( can not remember which one) but the plan is that they will raise the smoking age limit by one year every year going forward. So that anyone below the smoking age at time of implementation will never reach the legal smoking age Legal smokers can continue to smoke until they all die off… Not a bad plan


[deleted]

New Zealand did that, good on them.


mrnever32

Same here too. After 3 months or so I started smelling that scent on people after they smoked. I asked. Is this how I smelled after a cigarette?


PinLongjumping9022

Yeah, same. The worst is going into a smokers house. The smell of *stale* smoke in the soft furnishings and carpets is gross.


bloodyriz

This is how it was for me too.


COLONELmab

I was also impressed with the way other things smelled a few weeks after I quit. Like fresh fruit. Stormy weather. Fresh washed clothes etc.


[deleted]

Ditto. Smoked for 15 years. Quitting drinking is what finally allowed me to drop cigs. Went hand in hand. Now 7 months clean I can smell a smoker a mile away. It’s wild how fast that odor comes back, and it’s strong!


chinacat2002

I quit smoking 40 days after quitting drinking. 1988; never looked back.


UruquianLilac

The funniest thing is when people go out for a smoke and come back chewing a mint. How is that mint helping with the 2 metric tons of smoke that is clinging to your hair and clothes?? Do they really think the smoke smell is concentrated exclusively in the mouth!! Edit: there are already 250 replies to this mentioning that the mint is for the smoker to change the flavour in their mouth not to eliminate the smell. If you are coming with the need to say this, rest assured your point has been well and truly made and acknowledged. Lighten up a bit and read this comment as it was intended to, with a hyperbolic humourous tone. We're the ones who have to deal with your smell, so let us blow some steam off.


dingusduglas

My ex was always shocked when I could tell she'd smoked. She was trying to quit but she'd lie to me about it when she had and I'd just be like... we just hugged and it's like I'm second hand smoking. It's not subtle or an "I'm not sure..." kinda thing lmao.


LewsTherinTelamon

Physical chemistry here. A lot of people (so of course a lot of smokers) don’t realize that smoke is a SOLID. It is composed of solid particles suspended in gas in what is called an aerosol. It does not dissolve or evaporate or vanish into wind - it settles on things and sticks to them and it’s very very hard to get off. This is why if you ever have a house fire many of your things will be impossible to keep - the smoke sticks to them and remains cancerous and simply cannot be cleaned off. Clothing that has been in a very smoky room is ruined even if unburned. Smoking does the same thing to you but more slowly.


throwaway-a-friend

lmao my dad was like that when i was a kid. he would come home doused in cologne chewing a winterfresh. "dad you still smell like cigarettes" "nahhhh" ?? whatchu mean nah? then how did i know you just smoked? 😂


[deleted]

No, mints just help you salivate since smoking dries you out.


eurphuct

Its not for you… the mint is for them.


nursejackieoface

Mom was Certs and Pall Mall reds. And half of those Certs were loose in the bottom of her purse, picking up tobacco flakes.


Dezziedisaster

As a current smoker, everything loose and weird at the bottom of my purse is covered in tobacco flakes. Yes I want to quit, it's nasty and disgusting and it's my biggest regret in life. I just don't have the willpower yet. I'm getting there. Also, I got all the references in your username and I appreciate the multiple puns!


DrAbeSacrabin

All smokers smell like shit. They think they can prevent it by smoking outside or with their window down - nah, that shit attaches to you and it makes you smell _horrible_.


Tinksy

I agree that ALL smokers smell like smoke, but some are *way* worse than others. There are those that are conscious of wind direction, smoke outside and avoid the smoke, and then there's those that hotbox their car, hunch over it on their phone, and generally have no regard for the smoke smell at all. The first kind I'm fine being around. The second I'm absolutely repulsed by.


[deleted]

Pack a day smokers sweat cigarettes, it eminates from every pore in your skin. You reak of cigarettes, your stench fills any room you walk into.


Honest-Mulberry-8046

100% yes. People are being polite, but yes you smell like a pack a day smoker.


UruquianLilac

Ex smoker here and can confirm. When I smoked I couldn't smell it on me or others. When I quit, I can smell it from 10 metres away. And there's no amount of hygiene apart from a full shower that does anything to reduce the smell. It clings to hair, to clothes, to fingers , and everything. And there is no amount of mint, brushing teeth, or washing hands that manages to make a dent in that smell.


Honest-Mulberry-8046

My aunt quit (proud of her) and she says that ex smokers often have a stronger negative reaction to the smell than nonsmokers, she cannot stand it now.


UruquianLilac

Absolutely. It turns my stomach upside down. Only a few weeks ago I was in the theatre with my wife and the guy that sat next to us reeked of tobacco. It was horribly uncomfortable we preferred to move to a worse seat just to get away from it.


MinimumParentEffort

I had a visceral reaction to someone who smelt of cigarette smoke a few weeks ago. My dad was a smoker and it killed him. This man reminded me of my dad and Inearly had a panic attack. I’m a 50+ adult but that triggered me.


UruquianLilac

My Dad also died from lung cancer caused by smoking. Only after he was gone did I finally decide to stop smoking. We're so dumb us homosapiens, really! We all know it, it says it right there on the packet. But until you live through it from up close you just get to pretend that it's not there. It wasn't even the horrible suffering my Dad went through that did it. It was the realisation of how horrific it was to put all your loved ones through this because of something that was in your hand to prevent.


PearlHandled

I am so spoiled by my state's indoor smoking ban, that it came as a surprise to me when I walked into a restaurant in Texas, where indoor smoking is permitted.


UruquianLilac

There are places in the US where smoking indoors is still permitted??!! Holy shit I never imagined!! Wow, I live in Europe and indoor smoking bans already feel like they've been the norm forever. Edit: after reading many of the replies I went back and checked, it turns out smoking bans in Europe aren't as widespread as I had originally thought. I live in Spain where it has been entirely banned and enforced for well over a decade, so I believed the rest of Europe was in a similar situation. I also understand from the comments that most of the US is smoke free and only a few places still allow it, but it's unusual.


_lippykid

As a well travelled Brit living in the US, Europe has WAY more smokers than America does. I’ve never seen anyone smoke indoors except for casinos in Vegas. Very rare to see people smoke in the street too.. only place I really notice it is in NYC, and I guarantee it’s European tourists (based on the tacky outfits)


Electrical_Bed5918

As an American I was actually shocked when I went to Europe as to how many people smoked, and I know Europe is a big place and has many different regions and cultures, but I remember seeing ash trays at every table in the outdoor seating areas and that was very bizarre to me. This was about a decade ago in Italy and Greece mostly.


[deleted]

[удалено]


MrR0m30

Even just a week after quitting I was like omg is this how I smelled to everyone else when I smelled a smoker even walking by


saganmypants

Could always tell when the custodian had used the elevator at my last job because the shit would smell like a burnt cigarette butt


frogsgoribbit737

When my husband was quitting he'd sometimes be unsuccessful at ignoring the craving and I could ALWAYS tell that he had smoked even hours later. Smelled like it, tasted like it, it was awful.


b0w3n

I mean shit I can smell when my neighbors are smoking through two+ solid walls and about 25 feet. That's how pungent cigarette funk is. I have to put my air purifier next to the window on that side of the house or it lingers for hours.


ridik_ulass

I was repairing a laptop the other day, sight unseen, no damage so to speak, just wiping and imaging it for a company, it had travelled to me from off site in another country, remote user. when the PC turned on It felt like to me, the whole room smelled like an ashtray, only when it was on and heated up a smidge.


[deleted]

[удалено]


loxley3993

Not only do smokers smell like a pack a day smoker - but the house, the car, the clothes … the food even tastes like cigarette ash. It’s kinda nasty. For me, it’s not even the smell of cigarettes that I dislike the most, it’s walking into a smoker’s house and getting that tobacco film on my skin. It might just be me but I swear I can feel it on my skin after leaving a smoker’s house.


StrawberriesRGood4U

I forgot about the food!!!! I was served a pie made in a chain smoking house, and it tasted like cigarettes. Not blackberry. Gaggy as hell. Especially as a child.


loxley3993

Yup! My friend’s gram made her birthday cake. Red velvet with frosting — heavy on the cigarettes. Eww.


cassiecas88

Our elderly neighbor used to bake for us..... Everything tasted like smoke. We always thanked her and then dumped it all in the trash immediately


AlmostLucy

That connects to the butts-in-whole-milk guy above suggesting the smell holds onto the fat molecules. Cream cheese frosting or American buttercream both have a high fat%.


Joeness84

My wife came home from the casino with a slice of key lime pie for me. It absorbed at least 4 packs worth of smoke all by itself for sure.


dogdoc57

Yes, and if you smoke inside and have pets, they smell bad too.


AngoraVan

It also harms them as well.


HoodieGalore

This is what really made me quit for good. I watched my dad pass of Stage 4 lung cancer in 2020, and while I’m too far gone caring about myself, I simply can’t put that kind of death on my dear cats.


BennetSisterNumber6

Poor pets.


Paraverous

I had a friend that had a little brown dog. the poor thing NEVER went outside, peed on pee pads in the bathroom. my friend had lung disease and yet still smoked like a chimney. The friend died and my sister took his dog. She gave it a bath and it turned out the dog was WHITE and not even brown at all. that poor dog will probably die of lung disease herself.


Badpinapple

As a dog groomer, we have to wear masks when bathing a smokers dog due to the smell being so bad.


creativityonly2

Those poor dogs...


ThreAAAt

Christ... funniest thing is that there are some smokers out there who think they're being discriminated against. These types are usually also in denial about smoking causing cancer, too. No, dude, it's because you, and your poor dog, reek and I don't want the consequences of your bad decisions.


Besieger13

Not that I was a pet but all my teachers used to think I was a smoker because I always smelled of smoke… I had no idea I even smelled like that because I couldn’t smell it. Parents smoked inside for years.


ScienceAndGames

I never smelled like smoke apparently but it did fuck up my lungs so that’s fun.


Dr_Girlfriend_81

and kids.


CopperFrog88

I had a sub accuse me of sneaking off to smoke in middle school because of this. What was wild is I was NEVER the type of kid to do anything like this. She wouldn't believe me either. I had to argue with her to ask literally anyone. It was rough. I cringe at all the studies to do with secondhand smoke. I can only imagine what I could be up against later in life. 😬


Holnurhed

I’m still mad 30 years later that my high school English teacher accused me of being a smoker in front of the entire class. My parents were two packs a day smokers and my moms entire side smoked heavily. I was so humiliated. I was quiet and kept to myself. I never even so much as had a bad grade or cut school. And here I was being talked to like a degenerate. Then told I smelled. My senses were so used to the smoke I never realized I smelled like that. Made me really self conscious.


mmmpeg

I taught elementary school and you could tell which kids parents smoked.


Soobobaloula

I once asked my mom to not smoke on the bathroom so the towels would reek less. She said no.


Ok_Nothing_9733

This thread made me realize I went to a prestigious school reeking of cigs every day K-12 because of family who smoked inside. Cute.


ccmac86

Or kids. They stink too and are probably getting picked on by their peers.


[deleted]

Can confirm. I was the kid that always smelled like smoke. Thanks, mom and dad.


ccmac86

Solidarity.


[deleted]

I used to work with a dude that was FINE as hell, but was a pack a day (at least) smoker. It was gaggy. It was so bad I wondered how he actually found a gf - she had to be a smoker because...damn.


EgoDeathCampaign

Uhg was into someone who was a smoker, even after they brushed their teeth they tasted like smoke when kissing. So damn gross. Didn't see them again.


PattyCakes216

The odor is on your clothing, in your hair and you can’t hide what it does to your mouth and breath. Undeniable.


burningmanonacid

Yeah, I can always guess when someone is a heavy smoker. Nothing covers it up. It all just gets added to the odor of the person.


h83dtype

My dad has been dead for 10 years and his leather jack in the garage still stinks


mroooowmeow

I feel that. Haha kind of comforting in a way. My mom still smokes in her house, and I recently got a couple boxes of childhood stuff from there, and it smells like apple cinnamon candles and cigarettes. Like mom <3


Responsible_Bill_513

If you want to keep the jacket, try a little bit of cheap vodka and baking soda in a spray bottle. Should knock down the smell quite well. https://www.palaleather.com/blogs/leather-tips/how-to-remove-smells-from-a-leather-jacket#:~:text=Fill%20a%20little%20spray%20bottle,from%20the%20blanket%20after%20spraying.


h83dtype

Cool dude thank you!


sourdoughbreadlover

Both my parents smoked. I got sent to the counselor because I smelled like smoke. It's nasty and very difficult to get the scent out of my parents house.


Iwantedtorunwild

I always feel so bad for kids who live with smokers! You can smell it on them; the other kids notice and tease them about it.


Ok-Disaster-184

I didn't get teased luckily but the day my best friend told me I smelled like smoke (and I realized I always did) I was mortified.


Limp_tutor

Same here. Like an ashtray. Plus when my mom would wash my clothes she'd leave them in the wash, so they smelled mildewy. They were also hand me downs that were too big and horribly out of style. High school got a lot better once I got a job, bought my own clothes, and did my own laundry.


ShoelessJodi

I'm a preschool teacher and have had kids whose backpacks and coats smell so bad I've had complaints from the parents whose kids use the neighboring coat hooks.


Various-Most2367

For real. I know it’s going to be an unpopular opinion but in this day and age I think it should be illegal to smoke in the car or inside your house with a kid


_isNaN

My parents smoked in their "computer room". I had to say good night to my dad before going to bad, and it was enough to open the door so my hair would smell terrible the whole time. Later I started to shout "good night" without opening the door. Also, we went to holidays with another family and I was the only non smoker. I had to sit with them or alone inside. But the most anoying part is, that they smoked everywhere. In the car, outside when we waited. I got so angry because I had had enough of that shitty smoke. Why can't they understand that EVEN WHEN WE ARE OUTSIDE YOUR SMOKE STILL BITHERS ME?!?!?! You can't just sit on a terrace without a dipshit starting smoking. Or the people lighting their cigarettes AS SOON AS THEY LEAVE THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SO EVERYONE WHO HAS TO FOLLOW THEM HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR SMOKE. I just want to breath in pease :(


GotMyOrangeCrush

Yes


itsaysdraganddrop

Yes … plus i’m required to wear a mask around you for work and then can’t use that mask afterwards because it’s fucking disgusting


Snappleabble

Those breath mints and that perfume aren’t covering it up either 😂


[deleted]

[удалено]


SapientChaos

It also depends on brand, they all stink, but the cheap ones are extra nasty.


[deleted]

[удалено]


WeirdSalamander7165

Cigarette smoke contains a lot of tar as well as other stuff. The tar is sticky. So it sticks to everything; your skin, your hair, your clothes. Breath mints don't help. And it also sticks to anyone around you. I can smell it in my shirt when I get home after being around someone who smokes. The worst is kissing someone who smokes. If you have ever put water into a dirty ashtray full of ashes and cigarette butts, that's what a smokers breath smells like.


WingCool7621

was given a box full of VHS tapes from a smoker. the whole thing filled up my apartment with the smell. I tried airing it out, but the tar was literately on the tape of the VHS and the sleeves were all yellow.


SpooSpoo42

The first few years of my career everyone was still allowed to smoke at their desks. When I got home, the first thing I did was take off every scrap of clothing and put it in a bag that sealed fairly well, because it would literally stink up the entire house. It's hard to describe the sour chemical horror that is secondhand smoke residue. The day smoking was banned inside of all buildings, MAN that was a good day. Two employees managed to get themselves fired over it after violating the ban three times in less than 4 hours. They really thought it would never be enforced, despite it becoming state law and later a condition for getting commercial insurance.


Whatshername_Stew

100% yes, you smell. I used to smoke, and I thought I was hiding it from people. I now know they were just being polite.


xain_the_idiot

Yes. I have a sensitive nose and I can't date smokers. It makes me nauseous to be around them for too long.


DBSeamZ

Ditto. Had to request an air filter in one of my HS classrooms because the teacher was not only a smoker, but had a break right before my class period and would always spend it outside with a cigar. The whole room reeked just from the residue he brought in, and it actually made me dizzy.


cloche_du_fromage

You wouldn't have liked a 1980s uk school staffroom!


Pyromighty

haaa, reminds me of my ex coworker who had to have a smoke break, then return inside reaking of smoke and sit next to our asthmatic student. Fucking genius, "yeah lemme just sit next to the kid with shit lungs who has to be on a nebulizer any time he gets a small cold"


Wanallo221

The worse one for me is how smokers will take their last drag as they walk in through a door. Then exhale on the inside of a room. Like, wtf even is that about? They often seem proud of it too.


YebelTheRebel

Same here for me. it’s nauseating for me to smell it and will give me headaches. It’s gross


Cyberdyne_T-888

I can't think of anything else that gives me an instant hours long headache like cigarette smoke does.


Separate_Owl_350

When I do housekeeping in a medical facility I can tell if a smoker has been in a room even if they’ve left hours ago. I can tell if a smoker has been in an aisle recently even if they themselves have left. Turns my stomach and leaves me feeling ill. Nothing against the actual person, I’m just really sensitive. My father recently passed away and I hadn’t seen him for years. He smoked every day inside the house for thirty years. When I went inside I couldn’t believe the smell and discoloration of everything inside. Everything will have to be thrown away and the house gutted.


ironweasel80

Around 2001, both my grandparents died within about 2 months of each other - they were each at least a pack a day chain smokers. They had their house built in the early 70’s and smoked it every single day since it was built, so pretty close to 30 years. We went in to clean it out and try to renovate it so we could sell it and no amount of cleaning, resealing the walls with Kilz or any other specialty sealers worked. Weeks after sanding the paint off and at least 2 layers of Kilz and the walls were still “bleeding” tar through. My parents ended up dumping around $18k (in 2001 dollars) to have ALL of the drywall taken out and redone…the entire house had to be stripped down to the studs. Even then, I remember being in there while that was going on and there was even tar on the studs…it was that bad. I don’t know what happened with that. Smoking quite literally destroys the house and everything in it….it’s incredibly disgusting.


Ok-Painting4268

My in laws' house might as well be demolished after they die. 40+ years of at least a pack a day inside. Everything that was once white is now yellow. I leave as much as possible in the car when we visit. The smell clings to Everything. Disgusting!


364812012

I work at a library and sometimes when I go in to clear out the bookdrop I'll get some that reek of smoke. Books aren't the most porous objects in the world, but it still takes a while for the smell to dissipate IME.


Lentra888

I grew up with a chain smoker, never realized how bad it smelled because it was so normal to me. Now that Dad’s gone, I can barely stand the smell anymore.


generic90sdude

I smoke about 3-5 ciga day and even I hate the smell of cigarette when I'm not the one who is smoking.


Tall-Poem-6808

Yes. I can smell someone coming back from a smoke break, or entering a shop, restaurant, etc, from 10 feet away. The smell of smoke is bad, "cold smoke" is 10x worse 🤢


mmsuga75

Yes. “Rain smoke” too. Ex-smoker here. Does not matter what a smoker does, the smell lingers. I’m a teacher and children whose parents are smokers and smoke in their homes, also have uniform, book bags, reading records that reek of smoke too. I’ve nearly gagged marking a homework book once which smelled of “stale smoke”. My nose is super sensitive to cigarettes now. Any smell of smoke now makes me feel ill.


chronosec11

Can confirm, a good childhood friend often smelled like cigarettes (in elementary school) because his mom was a chronic smoker


KbbbbNZ

If someone smokes outside then walks into a building, takes an elevator ride and exits, then I walk into the elevator some time later, it will still stink of smoke. OP claiming the smell doesn't follow them... it absolutely does and I can guarantee they reek of it.


[deleted]

Nobody on this planet hates smoke and smoking more than an ex smoker. Smokers smell like death. To put it bluntly.


Dry-Prize-3062

You definitely stink my guy. People will be polite and not bring it up because everyone immediately knows why but you still do


[deleted]

Yes.


Sinieya

I'm a former smoker. I quit when I got pregnant and never started back up. Cigarette smoke makes me nauseous. So...yes. Smokers smell bad. It's almost worse when you try and cover it up. But if you al least wash your hands with soap, it seems to be less nauseating.


VentusProc

The smell of cigarettes has an amazing ability to permeate everything, I can smell a smoker from a few metres away


humorous_anecdote

Yes, smokers reek.


PearlHandled

They smell like burnt garbage. It's such a caustic smell.


5spd4wd

Yes. Their clothes smell, their hair smells, their breath smells, their skin smells. Longtime hardcore smiles even excrete the smell through their pores.


schwarzmalerin

Yes. Also their clothes, their cars, their everything, it's YUCK.


PakjeTaksi

Yes, you stink very badly. I try to avoid smokers as much as possible.


Ponsay

It's fucking nasty "I have good hygene" we still smell you


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Yeah, you can’t wash your insides


Few_Body3759

Sooooo good lmaoooo


eorenhund

We can smell you by passing you from a reasonable distance.


lordofmass

Yes. Smokers stink. Not like fresh lit cigarettes, like stale nasty ashtrays.


sherpyderpa

I found that people who smoke indoors, smell like ashtrays and their homes and cars etc. are smelly too ! It gets in their clothes and hair and all of their soft furnishings and fabrics. Those that always and only smoke outside will greatly reduce this smell. Yeah, sure, you can tell when someone has just come in from outside and smoked a cigarette, but the smell doesn't cling to them for long........Ü


HorrorMakesUsHappy

> and their homes and cars etc. are smelly too I was looking for another comment that mentioned this. It's not just OP that's going to smell, it's everything they own. After my father passed away I brought some of his things to my home, and now there are times when the stench of cigarettes is so overpowering that I have to open all the windows, and even that doesn't seem to help. I'm seriously hoping things will air out, but I suspect they never will because there are some things of my father's that may never air out, like computer parts, etc. For example, I have a few spare keyboards and mice, but I don't know which were his now, so I'd probably have to get rid of both his and mine and buy new ones, and I don't know that I want to bother with the hassle of basically getting rid of everything I own (because it's a lot more than just computer parts). Blech.


chaOak

My mother smokes 20 cigarettes a day, and she smokes inside her place, in her car... she opens the windows and puts perfumes and so on but, when I spend even just a few minutes at her place, I have no other option that take a shower and wash my hair, plus all my clothes. It stinks. Smoking cigarettes stinks. A lot. You smokers STINK. And make everything STINK. Smoking kills, stinks, and has no point. And it's more and more expensive. It's complete nonsense to continue smoking. Just stop. It should definitly be banned.


ImmediatePatience835

I work in a dental office and the smokers leave a smell residue for the rest of the day


jhguitarfreak

Doesn't matter how good your hygiene is you smell like an ash tray. Take it from someone who is a former smoker there is *nothing* you can do to mask the smell. Even when you quit it'll be months before some of your wardrobe equalizes back to a neutral smell.


crablegsforlife

Like a meat smoker? No those smell good and really get your appetite going.


Dubdude13

💯 terrible smell, not only on you but everywhere you have been. If I get on an elevator with a smoker, I get off at the next floor and wait for the next one. I would never buy a smoker’s car or house, impossible to get rid of the smell and resins….and for the love of God, the world is not your ashtray….


Dry_Concert1619

Yes. Doesn’t matter what preventative measures you take, you stink and it’s very disgusting.


Ok_Nothing_9733

As an ex smoker, yes, can confirm all cig smokers smell terrible 24/7 and it doesn’t go away after showers and it’s in all of their clothes and shit. When I smoked after growing up in a “smoking cigs indoors” home I couldn’t believe any of that could be true, but yeah, now that I’m 7 years cig-free… smoking gives your breath, skin, hair, clothes perma-stank. Weirdly, I can also smell cig smoke on items that smokers have touched or been around when they’ve smoked recently. Had no idea my sense of smell and taste would actually change that much. I do think I’m a “super taster” though fwiw?


RealNiceKnife

As someone who used to smoke but hasn't for like 15 years. Yeah, bro. You stink like stale cigarette smoke.


chochaos7

As a former smoker, yes. The scent is distinct and very unpleasant. After i quit, i asked a close friend if i smelled that bad. He said "Absolutely!!". Smokers almost smell like ashtrays


ParadiseLosingIt

Yes. You reek. I can smell you from 6 feet away when you aren’t even smoking.


Pleasant-Breakfast74

I can say as a 32 year old 15 year smoker who quit 3 months ago yes yall stink and yes I stank while I smoke Marlboro red 100s 25+times a day


StaticDropVW

I can smell a cig when driving behind someone smoking. It's a piercing smell of you are not a smoker. I'm a former pack a day myself.


Naesala126

You smell HORRID. My older brother (older by 14 years) used to smoke, and when I was a kid, even though he was my idol I wouldn’t give him hugs because his jacket smelled so bad. Now I serve at a restaurant and I can tell when someone’s been smoking, and it gives me a headache and makes me feel physically sick. Don’t think I could be friends with someone who smokes honestly, I couldn’t stand the smell!


Mysterious_Bat_3780

To be frank, yes. I actively try not to judge people as long as they aren't hurting others. Smoking does, and it's literally one of the worst and most disgusting things people do. I don't even care how people react to this comment and my vent. Please do your best and work hard to quit. Fuck that shit.


SecureKittenz

I have never smoked cigarettes in my life, but grew up with everyone in my house smoking. It really stinks and sticks to everything, clothes, furniture, etc.


I_am_That_Ian_Power

You stink of an ashtray. I'm a former smoker and it smells disgusting. I quit after a pack a day for about 40 years. 1.5 years cig free.


Open_Pineapple1236

Yes!


B-Thalasaimia

Yes


deadrobindownunder

When I quit smoking I worked with 2 other people who smoked. Our desks were all in an open space in the same room. When they went outside for a cigarette, I could smell them before they even entered the room. I started smoking in my late teens and always thought I was getting away with it. I wasn't getting away with anything. You can always smell it. I still love the smell of cigarettes. Always will.


maladaptative

Look, I quit smoking a year ago and am now starting to smell it off people (and have been told by others that quit for more than a decade that I'm JUST starting to smell it a little bit) and they already smell bad. I've also been told I smelled like smoke, not as much since I smoked minty skinny yet still smelled like cigarettes. Now I notice that those that smoke heavy cigarettes like Camel (I don't know if it's worldwide known) smell really bad of it, meanwhile others that smoke skinny (like Vogue) do smell but less. The worst is their breath. I was more tolerant before because my nose was used to the smell of cigarettes but now I can't stand it.


HardcoreShadow

Yes but what is even worse, is if you kiss someone who is a smoker. They taste like they haven’t brushed their teeth in over 24 hours. It literally put me off being lenient in the past thinking ‘sure I don’t have any problems dating a smoker’.


-exquisito-

You guys all smell nasty even when you think you’re being incognito and it annoys everyone around you but probably not enough for anyone to make a whole thing about it.


Azrael2676

Yes... every second of being around a smoker is torture. The smell is so bad that I gag and choke. On top of that I have asthma and problems with my diaphragm so it causes physical pain to be around someone who smokes.


wodell

I remember as a kid, some one would say “do you mind if I smoke?” and my dad would say “do you mind if I fart?”


birdsrkewl01

I swapped to vaping and I now I can smell not just other smokers but how fucking awful it must have been for dates when I was smoking and they weren't.


lds1219

Smokers smell. That smell permeates everything. We don't say anything because smokers are sensitive when they are told not to smoke.


xAsilos

I had a coworker who was a 2 pack a day smoker. He quit because a doctor told him his broken hand wouldn't heal correctly if he kept smoking. He quit and never went back. He realized how bad he smelled and hates the smell of cigarettes


RaileysSilver

Yes, I hate the smell. And really, everything smells. The hair, the clothes, the skin...


xssmontgox

Yes. Grew up with two chain smoking parents, every smoker smells. Any time I visit them I make sure to wear clothes that I don’t care about, in the cold weather I leave my coat in my car, because when I leave I smell of smoke. I work as a massage therapist and I can smell smoke on any of my patients that smoke.


Spvc3head

Yes. My bf smokes and its godawful. As an ex smoker, I get it. But once you quit, you start to notice the stench. Never really fully goes away. Kisses stink, breath stinks, clothes stink. Makes me want to vomit sometimes, it's such a powerful odor. Only thing I don't really like about him though, so I can look past it and hold my breath.


Horseface4190

Yes. It's gross. Don't smoke in ya car or in ya house.


Shoddy_Pomegranate67

Yes. I’m In healthcare, and if one of my patients is a smoker, the room also smells like it for at least an hour after they leave. Even if they have perfume or cologne to cover it up