Smoking And The Power Of Smell

Youve heard it said that humans have five sensessmell

, hearing, vision, touch and tastebut only two of these senses are based on chemicalssmell and taste. The senses of smell and taste allow us to experience the world around us through tiny chemical properties in the air.

This is especially true of cigarette smoke. When a cigarette is consumed, tiny particles are released into the air, and these chemicals dont disappear as soon as the smoke lifts. In fact, they can linger for days. Moreover, the sense of smell plays a vital role in our brains memory.

This can be very problematic for the smoker attempting to quit. Just think, youre going along good, sticking to your plan and avoiding all the triggers that used to send you running for a cigarette, and poof, someone lights up and all the memories come flooding back like a tidal wave.

Many smokers claim to love the smell of cigarette smoke. They love the way the tobacco smells and they love the way it makes them feel. Just being around the smell of smoke makes them feel more at ease.

But when you are trying to kick the nasty addiction of smoking, being subjected to the smells can prove very costly. Many people attempting to quit report that the smell of others smoking is a powerful trigger for their own habit.

While the research is conflicted regarding the correlation of smoke and its ability to trigger a response in someone trying to quit, there is one aspect of cigarette smoke that is widely accepted by the non-smoking population: Cigarettes stink!

The smells of cigarette tobacco may be an aphrodisiac for the ever-decreasing smoking population of the world, but for the enormous group of non-smokers, there is nothing worse than that awful smell. The odor of cigarettes has the ability to penetrate the clothes, the hair, the carpet and the drapes.

It is not a loyal smell, clinging to the smoker alone, but extends its foul properties to every living and non-living thing in the vicinity. Its a smell that doesnt go away very easily, but rather lingers and continues to pollute for days on end. And breath? Youve heard, Im sure, the expression kissing an ashtray? Well, its not just an expression. Its a reality that every wife, husband, girlfriend and boyfriend of a non-smoker lives every day.

The enjoyment a smoker feels in the presence of smoke is directly offset by the abhorrence felt by non-smokers. Its an objectionable smell that people will go to all lengths to avoid. So before you succumb to the old memories invoked by tobacco smoke, think for a bit about those around you. Is it really fair to subject them to something they so totally detest?

by: Robert Henderson

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