Sharing office with smokers = horrible smoke smell clings to clothes for ages after.

There used to be a generally unhygienic guy in our office who smoked - but I never really noticed the smoke smell off him, what I DID notice - almost daily - was the absolute reek of raw alcohol off him. He used to come in with fumes pouring off him something awful. If you were trapped in a meeting room with him the entire room would smell like a brewery afterwards - very nasty.
 
I am a smoker, however I chew gum and spray myself with perfume. I worked with a young guy years ago and he smoked rollies.. The worst thing was the smell of his clothes because they stank of tobacco, while he was clean in general – his clothes had such a strong smell of tobacco it was as though that when washed they were dried inside, and there was smoking in the house… It was so bad that I would be close to getting sick.
In the end I had to speak to him, I felt terrible and it was embarrassing for both of us… But he did mend his ways…
 
Never mind the smell, as foul as it is. I'm watching my father in law die of COPD. His lung function is 20% of what it should be. He's in his 60's but looks like a man in his 80's. He can't walk upstairs without having to go on a nebuliser when he comes back down. And he has a cigarette as soon as he gets a breath. Heartbreaking to watch, but so pathetic looking as well.

I really can't express in words how much I hate the things.
 
I once saw a question asked of a scientist ( i think in Focus magazine). Is smoking bad for the environment?

They answered:
Well they are burning organic matter -> CO2 released -> Bad
But the plant was grown for the purpose - Trapping CO2 -> Neutral
But the tabacco had to be packed and shipped -> CO2 Released -> Bad
But then smokers have a lower life expectancy and die younger. Thus they are not around as long using up petrol and heating oil etc etc -> Good
So overall smoking is environmentally friendly cos it kills off smokers! :p

But not dying before costing the taxpayer a fortune on hospitalisation and medication.
 
Bill Struth said it all in his post above about smokers. The smokers can do little about their addiction. They dont want to smoke. Some can give up, but the vast majority once hooked cannot stop.

It is ok for us non smokers to make rules and regulations for smokers - it is easy to run somebody elses life; but not too easy to run our own.

I have sympathy with smokers. They can't win. They have been hounded out of pubs, restaurants etc. They have become lepers of society. Their nicotine habit costs them dearly.

Whether we like it or not they are our colleagues, they are not blowing smoke in peoples' faces. They just smoke and cause harm to themselves. Surely, they deserve empathy?

I wonder if the smokers started criticizing our "defects" - Would we be able for the harrassment?
 
I've given up smoking. Took a long time, but finally I can say I'm a non smoker. As Leper said, I have sympathy for smokers. Having been one for so long, I can testify as to how bloody hard it is to give them up. I smoked for the best part of 18 years, tried so many things to give them up that never worked. Thankfully though, I found a solution to work.

In response to Ophelia, I smoked for a long time and I reckon I've paid well over 100,000 euro/punts in tax relating to smokes. I've never claimed off the state for healthcare, only time I needed operations I had private insurance to cover it. If I was, God forbid, to contract cancer or something, I will be covered by health insurance again. I will not cost the state a cent due to my smoking. It's hardly fair of you to make a sweeping statement like the one you did.
 
Bill Struth said it all in his post above about smokers. The smokers can do little about their addiction. They dont want to smoke. Some can give up, but the vast majority once hooked cannot stop.

It is ok for us non smokers to make rules and regulations for smokers - it is easy to run somebody elses life; but not too easy to run our own.

I have sympathy with smokers. They can't win. They have been hounded out of pubs, restaurants etc. They have become lepers of society. Their nicotine habit costs them dearly.

Whether we like it or not they are our colleagues, they are not blowing smoke in peoples' faces. They just smoke and cause harm to themselves. Surely, they deserve empathy?

I wonder if the smokers started criticizing our "defects" - Would we be able for the harrassment?

You could say the same for alcoholics, drug addicts and yet there are restrictions on the use of both alcohol and drugs.
In a way they are like lepers, they are spreading illness and disease via their smoke, it's not just themselves that they are harming.
There are lots of "defects" as you put it that can annoy colleagues, but not many that will actually harm their health. And nobody is harrassing anyone, I personally was just letting off some steam as the cateogry suggests.
 
In a way they are like lepers, they are spreading illness and disease via their smoke, it's not just themselves that they are harming.

How exactly are they spreading illness and disease via their smoke? Theyre not allowed smoke inside any workplace anymore?
 
I'd assume Mel is referring to people who smoke in public areas like on the street (which there is no law against) and having to inhale second hand smoke if you are in the vicinity.
 
I'd assume Mel is referring to people who smoke in public areas like on the street (which there is no law against) and having to inhale second hand smoke if you are in the vicinity.

Youd also be inhaling exhaust fumes from cars on a public street. There are few places where the air is 'clean' and in most of those places you could stand well back from the smoker in question.
 
I inherited an office where the manager allowed the staff to smoke in the kitchen despite a ban on smoking, because he smoked. When I tried to implement the no smoking policy you can imagine how I was treated.

Don't bother negotiating with the manager. Call the local Environmental Health Officer. It is illegal.

I have a next-door-neighbour who smokes on the doorstep at all hours of the day - i can smell it when lying in bed in the morning, hate it.
We have neighbours on either side who smoke in their back gardens, which makes our back garden unusuable for substantial parts of the day. It means we can't open windows or patio doors for much of the summer.
 
We have neighbours on either side who smoke in their back gardens, which makes our back garden unusuable for substantial parts of the day. It means we can't open windows or patio doors for much of the summer.

I dont understand this - if people are in the next garden smoking, how does this stop you from using your own garden or opening your windows/patio doors? At most all youd get would be a very diluted whiff of smoke in the air?
Presumably you also wont use your garden or open your windows/patio doors if they have a BBQ?
 
I dont understand this - if people are in the next garden smoking, how does this stop you from using your own garden or opening your windows/patio doors? At most all youd get would be a very diluted whiff of smoke in the air?
You obviously don't understand the revulsion to cigarette smoke that many people have. Cigarette smoke stinks. And it clings for a long time. It is horrible. And we get it in stereo.

Presumably you also wont use your garden or open your windows/patio doors if they have a BBQ?
Funnily enough, neither of them are BBQ fans, so the issue hasn't arisen. The smell of food cooking is quite different to the smell of burning cigarettes.
 
You obviously don't understand the revulsion to cigarette smoke that many people have. Cigarette smoke stinks. And it clings for a long time. It is horrible. And we get it in stereo.


Funnily enough, neither of them are BBQ fans, so the issue hasn't arisen. The smell of food cooking is quite different to the smell of burning cigarettes.

No - I dont get the revulsion at all, I quite like the nostalgic smell of it. In an unventilated room, yes (or even just indoors at all, yes), but outside in the open air - no, not at all.

I meant more the smell of burning fuel (and possibly burning food!) rather than food cooking.
 
I've given up smoking. Took a long time, but finally I can say I'm a non smoker. As Leper said, I have sympathy for smokers. Having been one for so long, I can testify as to how bloody hard it is to give them up. I smoked for the best part of 18 years, tried so many things to give them up that never worked. Thankfully though, I found a solution to work.

In response to Ophelia, I smoked for a long time and I reckon I've paid well over 100,000 euro/punts in tax relating to smokes. I've never claimed off the state for healthcare, only time I needed operations I had private insurance to cover it. If I was, God forbid, to contract cancer or something, I will be covered by health insurance again. I will not cost the state a cent due to my smoking. It's hardly fair of you to make a sweeping statement like the one you did.

In my experience smokers are responsible for most of Winter hospital medical admissions. You may have paid tax relating to smoking but have you paid enough to provide adequate beds to enable all service users to acquire a hospital bed in Winter? You have done well to give up smoking but you are in the minority - alot of smokers do not have private health insurance.
 
It is ok for us non smokers to make rules and regulations for smokers - it is easy to run somebody elses life; but not too easy to run our own.

I think there might be a few smokers who legislate and agree with the legislation regarding smoking in the workplace
 
In my experience smokers are responsible for most of Winter hospital medical admissions. You may have paid tax relating to smoking but have you paid enough to provide adequate beds to enable all service users to acquire a hospital bed in Winter? You have done well to give up smoking but you are in the minority - alot of smokers do not have private health insurance.

Majority of smokers I know have had very few smoking related illnesses. I smoked for 17 years and the worst smoking related illness that I had, if you could even call it that, was the flu.

In relation to the taxes I paid, I'm pretty sure most of that would've been used on non smoking related issues! I don't know what you mean in this part "You may have paid tax relating to smoking but have you paid enough to provide adequate beds to enable all service users to acquire a hospital bed in Winter?"

Are you suggesting that every smoker should pay enough in taxes so that everyone who uses the hospital should be paid for? And why just winter, what about summer?
 
Hate the smell of smoke on others or the hint of it in the open air ? Awh, bless.

Maybe we should ban cigs and drink and legalise weed.
No more drunken fighting on our streets (stoners couldn't be bothered to fight, too much effort required).
Also, the smell of weed is much more aromatic, almost akin to incense, and shouldn't offend anyones olfactory sensibilities/sensitivities.

Problem solved :D
 
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