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[Cairycat]

91. Having quit 25 years ago, I wouldn't nag anyone

Most smokers know how bad smoking is for their health, some will admit that second-hand smoke is injurious to others' health, maybe some might even admit the dangers of third-hand smoke (residue on clothes, etc.).

But I know that until I quit, I really had no idea just how pervasive and nasty third-hand smoke is. I bought a CD once on eBay, took most of a week to get to me, and it smelled strongly of smoke when I opened it. I've subbed on my daughter's paper route, and some houses, you could tell as soon as you got to the porch, the people smoked. In winter, with closed doors. My sister-in-law would give me lovely hand-me-downs for my kids, but they had to be washed three times to get the smoke smell out. My partner at work is a smoker. I do everything I can to avoid hanging my coat anywhere near hers, because clothing that is that saturated with smoke doesn't just smell like tobacco, it starts to almost smell like feces. I work in an elementary school. It's very easy to tell which kids have smoking parents.

So, yes, it's tough to quit, I won't nag smokers. But I think the idea that bathing takes care of the problem, that some smokers smell smoky and some don't, is baloney. Smokers smell, and it's not a pleasant smell at all.