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Comment by robswc | Hacker News Reader

Not terribly on topic but I truly don't understand how people can smoke unless it's just a genetics thing?

Smoke smells and tastes awful. I know the addiction is pretty much the answer but I don't get how people don't hate the smell/taste more than the buzz lol.

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Oh smokers hate so much about their habit. If you have close friends who smoke, they might be honest enough to tell you. No one really likes to smoke, they won't tell you because they are ashamed.

Dopamine makes your brain believe the hassle is not too bad. But who likes having smelly fingers, getting ash or sparks on your clothes, getting your teeth cleaned professionally way more often, smoker breath, receding gums, harder to keep up mouth hygiene, lighting 10k a year on fire, running out of nicotine in your bloodstream, running out of cigarettes, getting ripped of by the last working cigarette machine in the area at 3 in the morning, getting wet smoking outside, and and and

Addiction is a crazy bug of the mammalian brain.

You get used to it very fast and it becomes a pleasurable smell...but only your own smoke. If you smell someone else's, especially a different brand, it smells bad still. Now that I've quit for a while they all smell terrible again.

Not me, I love the smell of second hand smoke, especially menthols. I grew up with people's parents usually smoking outside of parties, and it drums up some nostalgia I guess. It's a totally different smell than you smoking it yourself.

I should be more specific. I smoked menthols and whenever I smelled a Marlboro red it made me gag.

It's a nasty habit for sure and even nastier of you don't smoke. But a smoker actually enjoys it and acquires/develops a taste for it. They can tell the difference in tobacco brands, etc. My Grandfather smoked for about 75 years and he rolled his own or smoked a pipe or both (at once sometimes). As a kid he always had that smell of tobacco that was kinda of pleasing to be honest. I ended up smoking as a teen and young adult but eventually quit so I can speak from experience. I look back now and think of how stupid it was and how it makes me sick when I smell it now but, that's not how you feel as a smoker.

Father who also smoked use to joke that it was the Indians revenge on the white man. We ruined them with liquor and they destroyed us with smoking. Best advice is to quit if you smoke or don't even start if you don't.

There's a huge difference between the odor of cigarettes and that of tobacco in any other form. Pipe smoke smells lovely, and I don't mind cigars unless they're the cheapest of the cheap. But, six years now after leaving them behind, there's very few circumstances in which I don't find the smell of cigarettes and cigarette smoke objectionable.

There are things that when you are used to it, it just doesn't "taste" as bad as others experience it.

To you and me, we associate smoking with health problems so subconsciously we hate it a lot. We also never feel the "good parts" of smoking so our minds are entirely biased into the negative aspects of it. Meanwhile, a smoker grew up without caring about the health damages and they consider it fine to smoke and the cost is acceptable for the "good" a cigarette can provide.

In a way, this is similar to how I eat some very unhealthy foods a few times a week. They taste good but to some people those things are smelly and unappetizing and definitely too much oil and cholesterol in them to be called a balanced meal. I still eat them because to me, they taste good and I am willing to trade a bit of my health for that kind of enjoyment.

>To you and me, we associate smoking with health problems so subconsciously we hate it a lot. We also never feel the "good parts" of smoking so our minds are entirely biased into the negative aspects of it.

No one feels the good parts of smoking before they start and most people find the smell unappealing.

>Meanwhile, a smoker grew up without caring about the health damages and they consider it fine to smoke and the cost is acceptable for the "good" a cigarette can provide.

I'm not saying you're alluding to this but just to be clear, this is who a smoker develops into, the person was not some sort of pre-smoker who's dispositioned to like things that are bad for their health which would allow them to tolerate the smell. The tolerance is built.

I quit smoking years ago but I always liked the taste and smell, still do. If it weren't for the obvious health reasons I'd smoke for enjoyment. Which people have done for thousands of years, it may be one of our oldest cultural practices.

It's also a good social ritual and icebreaker that's not actually easy to replace. Just sharing a cigarette with a stranger and talking for five minutes is nice and these little interactions we don't seem to have a lot of any more.

What's strange to me is that tobacco left to its own devices doesn't smell terrible like cigarettes do.

Unadulterated tobacco smells rich and savory, not unlike freshly ground coffee. What in the hell do they do to it to make it smell so bad?

The FDA has some materials on this, which is horrifying:

https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-co...

A smoke and a coffee is delicious! At my peak I've only ever smoke about 10 cigarettes a week during college. These days I smoke socially or when my brother comes over during our long walks. Two cigs.

I recommend you try a cigarette and a black coffee sometime. Obviously don't overdo it like a dummy and smoke a pack a day.

I used to measure how enjoyable a cigarette was based on what I was accompanying it with or where I was.

A cigarette with coffee in the morning is untouchable.

My rule for myself when I quit was I can only smoke on vacations, so I still look forward to that combination in the future.

Same is true of coffee at first... or alcohol!

People dislike the smell of fresh coffee? That must be one of the best smells there is.

Smoking significantly suppresses both senses.

Same could be said about alcohol, coffee, spicy sauces, candy.

If you never tried one you'd think it's disgusting

They probably get used to both, and don't notice it anymore

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