# Smelly smoker stinks up the office **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219 "2004-02-02T19:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/1 "2004-02-02T19:42:26Z")
This guy I work with, an intern, takes a 10 minute smoke break like once an hour. Then he comes back into the office reeking of smoke and it makes me sick! I’m not that uptight, and I don’t mind smoky bars too much, but this is the office, and the smell that comes from this guy when he gets back from smoking is just disgusting! ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/2 "2004-02-02T19:59:27Z")
Try being glad that all you’re exposed to is residual odor. He’s smoking outside, right? Residual odor from smoking isn’t the same as second-hand smoke… he isn’t endangering your health by being stinkyl Why don’t you speak to him calmly and rationally about what he’s doing to his own health? ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/3 "2004-02-02T20:02:17Z")
I meant to type: “he isn’t endangering your health by being stinky\*\*!\*\*” ‘stinkyl’ isn’t a word in the English language… but you all knew that, right? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/4 "2004-02-02T20:09:40Z")
> [@gluteus maximus](#): > > …‘stinkyl’ isn’t a word in the English language… but you all knew that, right? I thought the stinkyl radical was responsible for turning molecules into stink? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/5 "2004-02-02T20:17:20Z")
> [@gluteus maximus](#): > > Try being glad that all you’re exposed to is residual odor. He’s smoking outside, right? > Residual odor from smoking isn’t the same as second-hand smoke… he isn’t endangering your health by being stinky! Perhaps, but the stink makes me sick to my stomach and just plain old miserable. It would be the same as if your co-worker kept farting and stinking up the place and making everyone sick. It’s just as bad, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/6 "2004-02-02T20:23:16Z")
Stink aside, I gotta wonder how he gets away with taking that many smoke breaks! That would piss me off more than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/7 "2004-02-02T20:25:16Z")
> [@gluteus maximus](#): > > Why don’t you speak to him calmly and rationally about what he’s doing to his own health? Um, no. That’s just obnoxious. I’m sure he’s well aware of the dangers of smoking. Hell, my cat is well aware of the dangers of smoking. He smokes because he’s addicted (at a cig an hour, I’d say his being addicted is a safe bet) and **nyc** pulling him aside to “speak to him calmly and rationally about what he’s doing to his own health” will succeed in annoying him, and nothing more. Do you _really_ think he’s going to quit because some random co-worker has a little “talk” with him about his health? Come _on_. I can imagine the smell would be annoying. Especially since he goes out once an hour. (Mighty liberal break policy y’all have there). Perhaps tactfully suggesting he wash his hands in the men’s room before returning to the office or something? When I didn’t smoke and my X would go out for a cig, I’d immediately notice the smell on him when he came back in. It was horrible. But it usually faded in about 5 minutes. Perhaps you could pointedly spritz some air freshener once he returns? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/8 "2004-02-02T20:31:41Z")
I have the same problem on my homebound commuter train: people stand outside on the platform and smoke and smoke and smoke till the train’s ready to pull out. Then they get on the train _reeking_. When one of them sits next to me, I try to be polite and say, “Oh, I’m sorry, I see a friend of mine over there, mind if I move?” and get up and switch seats. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/9 "2004-02-02T20:32:23Z")
Question: Is it me or do some smokers smell really, _really_ exceptionally bad compared to others? My co-worker takes the occasional smoke break. He comes back wafting of that ashen smell – icky! but bearable --, but my father used to come in reeking of this horrible _sour earth_ smell. I mean _really sour_ smelling. Now my father (who died of smoking-related cancer BTW) did bathe regularly and was groomed as well as a grown-up can be expected to, but – jeez-Louise! – that sour stench could make you gag if you got a good whiff of it. So, WTF? Was it his brand of cigarettes? Some weird nicotene reek? I’ve known other smokers just as bad, but they (thankfully) seem to be a minority. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/10 "2004-02-02T21:16:28Z")
Move to California. Smoking is _off the table_ here. I believe now it’s even illegal to smoke in your home, unless you plastic wrap your house. [sub]Last sentence, just kidding. 😉 [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/11 "2004-02-02T21:23:43Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > So, WTF? Was it his brand of cigarettes? Some weird nicotene reek? I’ve known other smokers just as bad, but they (thankfully) seem to be a minority. I’m a smoker, and so are most of my friends, but even I notice it on some people. Obviously I’m walking round with my own residual stink, but despite this I notice that some of my fellow smokers just _reek_ after a cig, compared to others. I think it’s down to the manner in which a cigarette is smoked. If you are huffing down a cigarette as quickly as possible, the smell seems to be way worse than if you take a slow, leisurely puff with a cup of coffee or something. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/12 "2004-02-02T21:30:28Z")
It could be the type of cigarette. Since the rising prices, my grandmother has switched to cheaper and cheaper brands, and trust me, you notice. They stink so freaking BAD! ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/13 "2004-02-02T21:34:26Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > Hell, my cat is well aware of the dangers of smoking. He smokes because he’s addicted (at a cig an hour, I’d say his being addicted is a safe bet… How does he hold the cigarette with those furry little paws? heh ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/14 "2004-02-02T21:44:06Z")
Originally Posted by **Eats\_Crayons** So, WTF? Was it his brand of cigarettes? Some weird nicotene reek? I’ve known other smokers just as bad, but they (thankfully) seem to be a minority. There are a couple in my office that I’ve noticed have that smell too. These two, one male, one female, are heavy smokers, and also heavy drinkers. They both also smoke a lot in confined areas, bars, home and in their cars. The smoke has permeated their entire bodies and after each cigarette, I think they must just exhude some of the residue. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/15 "2004-02-02T22:15:59Z")
I know what you mean when you mention that some smokers just reek worse than others. Here at my office, file clerks help us secretaries with the filing, and my file clerk stands just behind me to do her work. She’s a heavy smoker (and has many health problems, too), and the stench of her breach makes me gag. I don’t think her hygiene in general is too great, so maybe the smoker’s breath combined with infrequent tooth-brushings is what causes this trouble. But thank goodness, she just announced that she’s leaving the firm. She’ll be gone in a couple of weeks. Whew! I breathe easier already! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/16 "2004-02-02T22:20:25Z")
brea **t** h, not brea **c** h, of course. Where did that come from? It makes it sound even more disgusting . . . ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/17 "2004-02-02T22:55:52Z")
[slight hijack here] I tell ya another thing about people stepping outside for a smoke break? Man, every single time, they simply drop their finished butts into the gutter on the side of the sidewalk - or sometimes simply drop the butt and stomp it out in the middle of the sidewalk. I mean to say? Just WHERE do they think those cigarette butts are going to go? Off into fairy land? I’ll tell ya where - down the drain into the local rivers and creeks and water systems. It’s a form of pollution which should be banned outright ASAP and made a criminal offence for mine. Forgive me. [/end of slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/18 "2004-02-02T23:09:52Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > It could be the type of cigarette. Might not even be a cigarette but rather a cigarillo. I used to live with a guy who had a penchant for a certain brand of cigarillo, one which smelled like he was smoking dried pumpkin leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/19 "2004-02-02T23:21:25Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > How does he hold the cigarette with those furry little paws? > > heh [Don’t need paws.](http://www.funnyclicks.com/funnyclickspicgal2/Smoking%20Cat.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219/20 "2004-02-02T23:22:48Z")
> [@PhiloVance](#): > > Move to California. Smoking is _off the table_ here. I believe now it’s even illegal to smoke in your home, unless you plastic wrap your house. I wish! One of my coworkers smokes, and I can smell him three cubes away. Plus it’s his damn job to answer the phone, and where is he? Out smoking! In the bathroom! Someplace the fucking phone is not! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-smoker-stinks-up-the-office/227219.md?page=2)