# Smoking after sex? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817 "2017-11-26T23:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CastletonSnob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@CastletonSnob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/1 "2017-11-26T23:37:41Z")
You know how in movies, after 2 characters have sex, one of them will be smoking a cigarette afterwards? Why exactly do they do this? Does smoking feel good after sex? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/2 "2017-11-27T00:19:13Z")
God yes! I quit smoking years ago and this is the only time I still miss it. It’s like a bonding experience. It promotes communal exchange, where as otherwise (unless you are a new couple) you’re more likely to turn on the TV and fall asleep shortly afterwords. The cigarette helps promote “pillow talk”. Only except the pillow talk in this case tends to be more sincere. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/3 "2017-11-27T00:24:12Z")
Try using more lube. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/4 "2017-11-27T00:25:30Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > God yes! I quit smoking years ago and this is the only time I still miss it. > It’s like a bonding experience. It promotes communal exchange, where as otherwise (unless you are a new couple) you’re more likely to turn on the TV and fall asleep shortly afterwords. > The cigarette helps promote “pillow talk”. Only except the pillow talk in this case tends to be more sincere. YMMV. Lots of women who don’t smoke will have a cigarette after sex. That works for me because I hate getting up and going outside to have mine. A cigarette also tastes great after rigorous exercise, or a great meal. Goes great with an exhilarating conversation. I think there is some drug in nicotine that enhances most any type of arousal kind of like the way salt enhances flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/5 "2017-11-27T00:26:37Z")
Vape-ing ain’t quite as satisfying, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/6 "2017-11-27T00:30:57Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Try using more lube. “Do you smoke after sex?” “I don’t know! I never looked.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/7 "2017-11-27T00:39:49Z")
Don’t forget, not too long ago (20 years?) smoking was the norm. People smoked everywhere: cars, bars, restaurants, home, other people’s houses, talk shows, airplanes, movie theatres, work, buses, taxis, etc. Why wouldn’t you light up in the bedroom after sex? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/8 "2017-11-27T00:47:19Z")
I was a very serious smoker–like 2-3 packs a day, back when that was only ridiculously expensive. But I almost never smoked after sex, because I was pretty damn rigid about not smoking in bed. It was really clear to me that it would be easy to fall asleep and burn the house down, me first. On the other hand, it is absolutely true that some cigarettes are just way more satisfying. The first one on a long drive. The last one of the night–which for me was always on the couch. The first one after you’ve finished a big task. Basically, sitting and thinking is just better with a cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/9 "2017-11-27T00:59:16Z")
That was more about 20th century Hollywood censorship, not the sexual properties of cigarettes in real life. In the days before it was acceptable for Hollywood to show anything like a sex scene, they needed a code to indicate to that the characters had just had sex. Being shown, in bed, smoking was that signal. Why it was smoking cigarettes, not drinking coffee or some other indicator I can’t say (not impossible it tobacco company marketing money). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/10 "2017-11-27T02:58:40Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/11 "2017-11-27T03:06:13Z")
Well, in _my_ experience, it’s simply that smokers need a hit every hourly (or even more often), and by the time all the stages of sex are complete, it’s about time for a smoke. (I don’t smoke, but sometimes my partner has smoked) ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/12 "2017-11-27T03:11:09Z")
Being a non-smoker, it does make me wonder if there are couples, perhaps long after the first flush of romance has settled into the casual routine of a relationship… Well do they smoke during sex? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/13 "2017-11-27T03:12:51Z")
Heh, in Thailand “smoking” is slang for fellatio. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/14 "2017-11-27T03:17:10Z")
> [@filmstar-en](#): > > Being a non-smoker, it does make me wonder if there are couples, perhaps long after the first flush of romance has settled into the casual routine of a relationship… > > Well do they smoke during sex? Do you eat during sex? IOW, I’m sure some people do but generally no. If you’ve got enough free real estate on your hands and face to smoke, someone is probably bored. Like eating, it’s sort of a before or after thing. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/15 "2017-11-27T03:31:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Do you eat during sex? I wouldn’t touch that one with someone else’s 10-foot pole. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/16 "2017-11-27T03:49:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I wouldn’t touch that one with someone else’s 10-foot pole. 😉 [Seinfeld will.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRbg7K75w0I) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/17 "2017-11-27T04:05:54Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Heh, in Thailand “smoking” is slang for fellatio. I’ve encountered that slang in several places, so it seems somewhat cross cultural. I used to smoke up to a couple packs a day. Never got the urge to after sex, though. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/18 "2017-11-27T04:15:05Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Do you eat during sex? > > IOW, I’m sure some people do but generally no. If you’ve got enough free real estate on your hands and face to smoke, someone is probably bored. > Like eating, it’s sort of a before or after thing. ``` It is not unusual for one partner of either sex to suggest the other partner lay back and have a smoke while enjoying some oral sex. ``` ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/19 "2017-11-27T04:27:03Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > It is not unusual for one partner of either sex to suggest the other partner lay back and have a smoke while enjoying some oral sex. Really? Seems like a highly unlikely circumstance. I’ve never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817/20 "2017-11-27T07:13:08Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Don’t forget, not too long ago (20 years?) smoking was the norm. This exactly. You finished the yardwork? You had a smoke. You had a swim? You had a smoke. You dropped the kids off at school? You had a smoke. You bought something at the mall? You had a smoke. You just had sex? You had a smoke. Smoking was the norm in those days. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-after-sex/802817.md?page=2)