Question for smokers

[Melinda S in TX]

This is for dd who is very sensitive to smells.  She wants to know how people who smoke feel about smoke smell?

[Melissa in Australia]

I wonder if they can even smell it

[Elfknitter.#]

Can't speak for all, but my anecdotal evidence says the smokers that I have known cannot detect a smoky smell. When a smell is smoke related, I (a non-smoker) tend to notice it while the smoker in my life does not. The same smoker may or may not smell other.... Fragrant smells before me. But when it's a smoky smelling car or room, I will notice first.

[heartlikealion]

Dh is a former smoker. He can smell things now that I don't think he could in the past. He can definitely smell things his smoking family members cannot. Like one time MIL brought over an item she had washed and driven to our home. She asked me if it smelled like smoke and I told her it did. She couldn't believe it and had dh confirm. The item had been in a bag I think, but it was in a car with at least 4 smoking adults on a 3 hour drive.

 

I'm thinking the answer varies depending on how long/often a person smokes. The longer they smoke the more "nose blind" they become.

[heartlikealion]

Oh since the question was "how do they feel?" I will share that I had a smoking friend that refused to smoke in his new car. I don't know if that's because he didn't want his car to smell like smoke to him or because he was thinking about future market value or what.

[Tap]

I come from a family of smokers and I smoked for years before I had kids.  In my experience, my family couldn't smell a slight scent of smoke (ie hotel room where a guest smoked on occasion) but they could smell a heavier smoke smell (ie someone home where they smoked daily). Hence not wanting to smoke in a car.   It wasn't a horrible smell to them though.  It is not necessarily a good smell, but not a bad one either.  

 

I have heard a few smokers will say they enjoy walking past a group of people smoking.  The fresh smell of smoke brings back fond memories of the act of smoking (relaxation/friends etc). They don't want to smell it, but it does hit the pleasure sensors in their brain. I think it is a lot like cooking onions.  The smell of onions cooking isn't great, but it can make you look forward to dinner if you enjoy what is being cooked. 

[SemiSweet]

I grew up in a smoking household and was a smoker myself for many years. I HATED the smelll, I never smoked in my home, even before kids. I usually had a jacket or something I would wear over my clothes and I would wash my hands immediately afterward. I was a heavy smoker too, like a pack a day so the hand washing would cause cracks and bleeding. Obviously quitting was a good idea for me haha. I am now even more sensitive to it though.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I grew up with a heavy smoker.  So it was like I too was a smoker.  I couldn't smell it usually.  I couldn't smell that my clothing and jackets smelled like it.  People would often accuse me of smoking and didn't believe me when I said I didn't smoke.  I didn't realize I stunk so bad.  Then being away from that for many years I am extremely sensitive to the smell.  If my kids visit a family member that smokes they come home stinking.  I have to rewash all of their clothing including their clean clothing.  If I'm driving and in traffic and there is someone smoking 2 cars up I can smell it. 

 

 

 

 

[MooCow]

My friend said the smell grosses her out, and she has "smoke" clothes

[Guest]

I grew up in a smoking household and was a smoker myself for many years. I HATED the smelll, I never smoked in my home, even before kids. I usually had a jacket or something I would wear over my clothes and I would wash my hands immediately afterward. I was a heavy smoker too, like a pack a day so the hand washing would cause cracks and bleeding. Obviously quitting was a good idea for me haha. I am now even more sensitive to it though.

This was me exactly. I could always smell it, didn't like the smell, and now dislike it even more.