A workman came to my house today for plumbing and I came into the room and at first wondered if there was a fire or something smoking or shorting in the room. I didn’t say anything but I assumed it was him. Do they know they smell of smoke at all or to that extent? Also is it because the smoke gets on their clothes etc? To add, I know it is an addiction and I have full sympathy to those who can’t stop.
Are people who smoke aware of how strong they smell?
r/AskUK
Comments
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When repling to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc.
Don’t be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Ex smoker. I certainly didn’t but when I smoked it was still legal in pubs so even my non smoking dad stank of fags.
No, people who smoke have a dulled/numbed sense of smell and taste. Many smokers who quit report discovering the taste of food again!
No probably not, fags mess with your sense of taste and smell.
I smoke socially from time to time and I don’t notice how bad it is until I’m putting the clothes I wore that night through the laundry.
I only became aware when my family stopped smoking. I’ve never smoked but grew up when everyone did. When they packed in, I suddenly became very aware of who smoked and it would make me gag
Even worse when you go their house 🤮
9/10 times people are unaware. Same with those that smell of B.O. I’ve known some heavy smokers who make an effort to mask it but if you’re around it constantly it will become hard to tell just how bad it actually is.
It’s a mix of becoming nose blind to something but also that smoking negatively affects their smell and taste anyway. I don’t think they realise at all no.
From my experience with family members, they are aware they smell but only because others tell them so.
Cigs mess with your sense of smell a lot plus other senses. I imagine it must be kinda weird to know you smell of something that you yourself dont notice, but everyone has a smell i guess
No, ex-smoker here and my Wife’s still a smoker. When I smoked (For a good 25 years) I never noticed it and my Wife still doesn’t. Now I’ve quit (Coming up for 5 years now) I can smell it a mile away and makes me gag at times.
I quit four years ago, and today I find the smell of someone who’s had a tab absolutely disgusting. Nauseating. However, I do enjoy the faint whiff of a blend coursing over the wind.
They don’t have a disease, some people don’t want to give up. I smoked for 17 years or so and if it didn’t smell, cost loads and kill you I still would. I had no desire to give up until we were arranging our wedding and I thought it would be good to start married life as a non smoker.
When I used to smoke I would have a cigarette in the car before getting to mums and they spray perfume and think she’d never smell anything!
After stopping smoking I can smell fag smoke a mile off
No, when I was a smoker I had no idea how strong I smelled. Now I’ve given up I really cringe when I walk past someone who has that “covered up the smell of fags with Charlie body spray” fugue around them, because oh my god I smelled like that.
Sort off, we can’t smell it ourselves, but I was aware people could smell it. Didn’t really care that much tbh.
Sometimes.
As a casual smoker I’m very aware of how I smell the next day. Sometimes my clothes even stink the next day just from having a few drinks with a smoker and not actually smoking myself. So yeah, part of it is definitely it getting on clothes. Just being around smoking will get them to smell.
I’d imagine if people are smoking regularly they don’t really notice it so much though. If somebody smokes every day they’re just not going to notice the difference. I don’t notice the difference myself when I smoke, it’s only the next day I start to notice it.
I quit about 2 years ago, and I notice like crazy now, how much smoking stinks, cheap baccy smells heinous.
I could never smell it on myself when I was a smoker. I was aware that it made me smell, because of course it did, I just never noticed it.
They are addicted they don’t even care about anything besides getting their fix. Someone I know who is addicted to vaping did on a train in Amsterdam and was thrown in jail for a few hours.
I noticed when I stopped smoking, how smelly it is, I did start smoking again, but now I have a tin of deodorant and mouthwash everywhere, if im out and cant have mouthwash, I have strong mints. Its a disgusting smell and I can not wait to quit again.
I gave up smoking for a raft of reasons but mostly because of how bad the smell was
You are aware, but it is less noticeable because you always smell like that and your smell and taste is a bit number anyway. I quit years back, and I notice it much more strongly now.
Also, though, the strength varies depending on the amount of smoking and the tobacco smoked. I find people smoking rollies often smell much smokier than other smokers. If you are in a room with someone who is a heavy smoker of rolled cigarettes, you can tell… Smoker or not.
No, they tend to think having a mint or giving it five minutes and it is out of their breath – it isn’t. Think of their lungs as two pieces of meat that have basically been cured like side of bacon. It gets a really thick, bitter edge to it. Clothes are totally imbued with it.
Another ex smoker here and at the time I had no idea I smelled of cigarettes but I’ve quit 8 years ago now and the smell of it now makes me feel instantly sick and I can smell it a mile away
Nope. My mother finally quit smoking a few weeks ago after 50 years. She smelled my dad’s jacket (who still smokes) and she texted me “I had no idea I smelled this bad, I’m so sorry” lol
No, it was only when quitting I realised how disgusting people smelt after smoking.
Definitely not lol I can still remember the smokers at school thinking a quick spray of lynx Africa and a chewing gum would hide the smell
I struggle to give up smoking. I’ve tried 285838758583885 times. I’m back on giving up again; day 3. It is definitely not easy. And a smoke can be quite delicious.
Mind works in mysterious ways.
Nope. When I smoked I had no clue, unless I was somewhere no smoking was allowed and had a strong smell of its own, e.g. swimming baths. The smell on my clothes and towel was horrifically obvious, that’s about the only time I noticed it. Until I had kids, then was very conscious about not having their clothes smell. I only smoked out of the kitchen window but it still got everywhere. I had stopped while pregnant but fell back into it, eventually stopped when eldest was 8 or 9.
Husband still smokes (outside or in the car, never in the house) but the smell is so strong and I notice it on my clothes if we’ve been in the car together. It’s not pleasant.
Yes, absolutely.
It’s not as bad as people who don’t smoke but stink of bo.
Yes, I don’t smoke ciggies but I use baccy in my joints and I know I smell of smoke afterwards. I tie my hair up and take my jacket off but I know the smell still sticks to my clothes.
Never realised how bad I smelt until I quit, I will never smoke again.
As an ex-smoker: no.
I was mortified after I quit and started getting my sense of smell back, knowing what I’d been subjecting people to for all those years.
Some smokers do smell worse than others though. I think roll-ups smell less than cigarettes, and some people just have better hygiene, wash their hair and clothes more frequently, etc.
Yes smokers know they smell but not sure all of them realise just how much.
I only smoke outside because it’s disgusting to smoke inside whereas my dad smokes in his shed and I still get the overpowering smell of stale smoke when he walks back into the house which I know would be even stronger if I didn’t smoke myself.
As a smoker I’m aware I smell of smoke, but can’t actually smell it myself as I’m used to it. I do try to wear perfume but that only masks some of it. Also air out my clothes after washing and use scent boosters, think it only helps to an extent. I have one member of my team who is really sensitive to it, if I go see them right after a smoke break they will always comment ‘just had a fag?’ as they can smell it, but if I see them a hour + afters they don’t seem to be aware
Who cares about the smell when it makes you look cool.
No. I did not detect any smell of smoke on myself or others when I smoked. Now, I can very readily detect it. I stopped smoking 5 years ago.
Smoker here,yes I know how strong it smells,and I can smell it on me. So usually have a quick spray of aftershave after a ciggy.
Better than stinking of Lynx Africa
No. I never realised how bad I smelled to other people at the time. I quit almost 14 years ago and I can’t stand the smell now, despite how much I miss smoking.
When I quit one of the first things I remember noticing is what I smelled like. I could smell myself and my breath, which I hadn’t been able to for the 10+ years I’d smoked.
The second thing I noticed was how different food and drink tasted. Smoking had masked so much of the taste.
Much to the dismay of those around them, no they don’t
I knew logically that I smelled of smoke, but I couldn’t actually smell it.
You think the plumber cares that he smells of… smoke? Plumbers have other worries when it comes to odours.
Interestingly enough, some people believe that trends in perfumery are related to smoking prevalence. In times where smoking was more common and happened indoors at work/restaurants, popular fragrances had to cut through the smoke scent to get attention.
I think it depends on how often they smoke and where they smoked
If they just had a fag outside then maybe their hand might smell a bit but it’s usually not that noticeable unless you’re up close or smelling their breath
If they’re the kind who has a fag every 30 minutes or so and smokes indoors all the time then yeah they likely stink like fuck and have no idea about it
The people saying no are blowing my mind.
Like, obviously I can’t fucking smell it myself, but I’m entirely aware that other people can.
Do you guys live under rocks? How can you smoke for years and not be aware that you stink to non-smokers?
Ex-smoker here and no, they have grown accustomed to the smell that it becomes oblivious to them how it smells for other people within the vicinity. The smoke does indeed linger on the clothes. It usually dissipates after a while but if you stick your face in it, you can still smell it. Chances are, the workman just had a cigarette before coming into your house. The smell is still fresh but eventually won’t be as bad after a while.
Nicotine addiction is a really tough nut to crack.
You know it’s stinky, you know it’s bad for your health, you know you might as well be setting fire to £20 notes. And it also kills your sense of smell and taste.
A lot of smokers, if they could just stop, they would. But it’s not that easy.
No. I smoked for many many years and had no idea how badly I stank. I opened an old box of ‘stuff’ the other day that hasn’t been opened since before I gave up and everything in there reeked. Some of my colleagues smoke and you can very much tell – I do have a habit of saying to them about it so that they can be aware how much they do smell.
No no idea , because I gave up over a year ago , and when someone one smoked near me recently I couldn’t believe how strong it was , and I never knew I smelt like that
Nope, I smoked from the age of 19 til I was 40, never smelt in on myself but was told often “you don’t half pen and ink”, then I gave up and started smelling it on others, some would really stink of it and some slightly stink.
That was 13 years ago, nowadays it doesn’t bother me but I really hate the smell of weed, gives me an instant headache.
Smoker here. Yes we know it smells but we like the smell. You don’t? Oh my god id better quit then. The threat of coronary disease and cancer didn’t change my ways but you certainly have.
When I used to smoke I never noticed the smell gave up a few years ago and now notice it on others.My sense of taste and smell has definitely changed I did a council housing swap a few years ago and it took a few weeks to wash walls and ceiling to get rid of the smoke smell.
I have a super sensitive sense of smell, and I don’t smoke. I genuinely don’t notice smokers smelling different. The only exceptions are: a mild hint that someone has smoked in the last minute or two after they come indoors, and when I work with people with complex needs who have profound home and hygiene problems. Either way, I’d never mention it.
I’m convinced the whole thing is a bit of a vanity flex from non-smokers.
Am I the only smoker that can smell it on others and themselves?
I was perfectly aware but was addicted so didn’t give a stuff. Now I’ve been quit for 4 years and absolutely love the smell.
A lot of smokers end up in denial about it for some reason. It’s a regularly asked question on Reddit as if large swathes or the world are conspiring to weirdly lie about smokers smelling of smoke.
For the people that are aware of it there is generally nothing they can do about it, they can’t feasibly have a cig then have a shower and get changed before every job for example.
I sometimes think about all us kids growing up with parents who smoked did we all go to school stinking of cigarettes and coffee and chip fat?
So i can’t really smell aye, so I don’t care about any smell, I always think being able to smell is by enlarge a disability and perhaps 1% of times do people mention smell in a positive context. Should we just remove all senses of smell? What is the advantage? Natural gas?
Generally, no it dulls your senses given time, in this case sense of smell
Same as people who work in jobs with smells (plumbing, care etc) as you’d expect of someone who has had their hand down toilets for years/decades or been helping people with hygiene
Smoking can affect your taste buds as well thats why sometimes people quit and your mouth does a reboot, you have to get used to certain foods again (spicey etc)
They have no idea, my old manager used to sneak out for a fag (saying she was going to the loo) and think we didn’t know – even though she came back into the office stinking like she’d rolled in a stale ashtray. Used to make me feel sick.
Can’t say I’ve ever smoked a cigarette, but I would of thought maybe it tastes slightly similar to how it smells + taste of the smell of tobacco
they have no idea. my dad smokes, in the house, and has for decades. their house and everything in it is horrendous. my poor mum is also totally noseblind to it after so many years, and gets so offended because she’ll bring me things like old toys or clothes for my kids that “I’ve washed and they don’t smell at all!” but i have to immediately wash them and/or put them outside because they do, in fact, stink of smoke.
my clothes and hair smell whenever we visit them and i rarely take my kids to see them because their house is so bad and i hate the secondhand smoke. it’s heartbreaking tbh, i hate it.
Most smokers don’t smell too much, you have to be a pretty heavy indoor smoker to get smelly.
Even my mum who smokes heavy, but switched to going outdoors, doesn’t smell too bad.
My partner only smokes a couple a day, and then you only smell it on his breath a little.
Growing up the whole family smoked indoors and that’s when EVERYONE’s clothes stank, even us non-smoking children.
Good to know I smell strong, my gym routine is paying off
Smokers are deluded (ex 40 a day man, although been quit since 2008) and seem to think that a mint or brushing teeth makes the smell vanish
It’s coming from your fecking lungs and it’s still coming out in the morning puke
It’s vile and you really don’t realise how bad you smell
At least they’re not noticing that. When I used to smoke I never ever felt that horrible stank on me after smoking. But when I did quit- than I have started to notice it on colleagues who just finished their fag and came back in to the room.. The smell is terrible!
No they really don’t.
My parents only smoke in one room of their house, the furthest corner room away from any others and yet if I leave anything there, by the time I get it home to my own house, it needs to be washed or aired out.
I was in the car with them yesterday, and my handbag stinks as well as my clothes and hair.
I love my parents but my god it’s horrible always having to shower once I’ve been at their house or in their company.
They don’t smell anything at all.
Wondered if there was a fire? Cigarette smoke smells bad, and no smokers generally don’t notice… but cigarette smoke doesn’t smell anything like a fire. Like at all.
We are yes.
I’m a non-smoker (for life), my parents both smoked up to about the age of 40, my sister from the age of 14 onwards, my bother and I never smoked.
This anecdote reminds me of when my now wife was my girlfriend and I used to go around to her parents to pick her up for dates or sometimes just to hang out at their place. Both her parents smoked, my girlfriend didn’t and has never smoked.
The entire house used to constantly reek of cigarette smoke, and consequently the furniture, all their clothes, hair etc..
It’s only after we married and started to live together and go back to see her parents that she actually realised how strong the smell of tobacco smoke was, and how it pervaded everything.
One day after we’d left their house (both stinking like we’d spent the evening in a working men’s club in the 70’s), she said to me;
Her: “You know when you used to come to my parents house to pick me up, and you’d wait in the hallway for me, and I’d come down the stairs, freshly showered, made-up, hair done, and dressed in clean ‘going out’ clothes?”
I said “yes?”.
She says “Did I smell of tobacco smoke?”
I laughed and said “Of course you did, you lived in a house where two adults were (almost) chain smokers”
She is mortified, and says: “but you never said anything about it, and it didn’t put you off dating me?”
Me: “Well, you couldn’t help it, it was your parents house, and you didn’t smoke”
Today her father still smokes (mother gave up about ten years qgo), but he is restricted to the utility room for smoking indoors. Even this doesn’t help, when we go to their house, and come home we stink, and the clothes have to go straight into the wash.
I smoke, and I couldn’t care less.
As an ex smoker, NO. I had no idea, but now that I don’t smoke (10+ years) I notice it immediately on anyone who does.