The Nose Knows #3

By Tracy Schruder

The choking odour of cigarette smoke. 🤢
I am a happy non‑smoker. I used to smoke cigarettes, but I gave them up for several reasons. I escaped free from the brainwashing—and I broke free. Everyone can and should give up this filthy, disgusting thing.

However, I still have ashtrays in my house and family members who smoke. They do their best to take it outside, but on cooler, wetter or snowier days, they smoke indoors. Being a non‑smoker, I can always tell when someone has lit up—even if they light a candle or spray something.

All non‑smokers can smell cigarette smoke, immediately. This is partly because our olfactory system is healthy and we are more sensitive than a smoker whose tiny hairs in the nasal passages are paralyzed by nicotine and tar, etc.

Whenever people smoke in my house, I can still smell it on the furniture, walls, window, etc. It’s a continuous cleanup, but I do it for my health and for the health of my home. Furthermore, I enjoy doing deep cleaning, so it’s going to be done at least twice a month anyway.

The damage one causes to their sense of smell and taste through smoking is extremely sad. The only good thing about that is if they quit, it will repair itself in time. Regaining my sense of smell after being a smoker was one of the greatest experiences—I smell the flowers again and I’m enjoying every sniff.

Conclusion: You can’t trick a non‑smoker. Please step outside—or even better, quit. Do it for yourself and the people in your life with sensitive sniffers. The nose knows 👃.