Cigarette smoke

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Does anyone else react to cigarette smoke like I do? I never smoked - except for once when I was 16, to try it, with the consequence that I got extremely tired and fell asleep on the couch for 3 hours. The problem is that the smoke of other people is extremely annoying for me. Whenever a smoker is around, I feel like I can't breathe. I really hold my breath as much as I can. At the moment the guy next to me (it's a dorm) is a pretty heavy smoker. He used to smoke in his room although this is strictly forbidden. When I warned him (because there are controls here every few weeks, and you could smell the smoke from outside our flat), he claimed that he'd stop, but I think he still does it sometimes when he feels too lazy to go outside. As a consequence the floor outside the rooms always stinks terribly of smoke, and there are no windows. And sometimes I can smell it slowly seeping into my room, probably at the moment he's secretly smoking in his room.

Another source of annoyment is his constant coughing and clearing his throat every few minutes, very loud through the thin walls, and since he always stays up until 3-6 am it's keeping me awake (yes, I am very, very sensitive to noise when I'm trying to sleep). Plus, everytime it makes me wonder - why the hell would you ever want to smoke - you ruin your health, annoy others, and it tastes terrible and is very expensive. But what can you expect from a guy who lives on 4pound pizza because he's too lazy to go shopping where it's cheaper, and WAY too lazy to actually eat anything that requires preparation, and who turns up to university only a third of the time.

I even considered telling the dorm security that he's been smoking in the room, but they'd probably kick him out for that - it's pretty strict here. And he'd know that it was me who told them.

I'm usually not THAT sensitive to smell, the only smells that can really overwhelm me are perfume and, well, cigarette smoke. Do you find it this annoying as well?

Three words: Smokers suck butts.

I hate it when you're sitting at the bus stop and someone comes along and starts smoking then I get up and move away till the bus comes.

Another thing is when smokers are standing around near the doors in shopping centres and you have to hold your breath when you go past.
I know where I live they're trying to ban smoking in public places.

Afterward, even if they are away, they immediately bet next to me reeking of smoke and still bothers me,.

My reaction makes your description there look mild.

Near instant migraines among other responses.

I used to smoke when younger. I quit many years ago.

Now I have developed allergy to smoke and perfume (It does not always trigger a reaction). The worst is when people who are smokers sit next to me in the bus or train etc. Their clothes reek of smoke, even if it is sometime since they have smoked.

I am now very sensitive to the smell of smoke. If one of my boys spend time in a smokers home, I have to strip them of their clothes when they come home because the smell of "old smoke" can trigger my allergy (and it is very unpleasent to smell). Apparently my sense of smell is quite acute!

Women and perfume! Sometimes I have to sit several rows away (in the train) from somebody wearing perfume. The stench is so overpowering and sometimes gives me a headace.

Same here.

Smoke and perfume (and music). I hate them. I never enter a cafe where they allow smoking (yes, unbelievably there still are many of them and it's not illegal). I also don't like the attitude of some smokers. They think it's ok to smoke as long as it's outside even if there are other people around. And of course some smokers do smoke where smoking is banned such as at train stations. I wonder why the government doesn't make smoking illegal, since there is really nothing good about smoking.

I also want perfume to be banned (a bit of exaggeration here). At work I sometimes detect the presence of some people by their perfume from 10 meters away rather than by sight. It's sickening.

Music is another problem for me. For me, music = noise (this is irrelevant to this thread).

I absolutely hate it. I've never smoked, but my my Mum smoked a lot, including in the house, when I was growing up (she doesn't smoke now). I react very strongly. I'll wave my hands in front of my face, to try to brush it away. If someone at the bus stop lights up, I'll walk away. The problem I face is that I live on the outskirts of Glasgow. Walking through some parts of the city centre is like running the gauntlet for me. Since the smoking ban, the matter has actually gotten worse for pedestrians. Instead of smokers in pubs smoking inside, they stand at the doorways, creating a wall of smoke for anyone on the pavement. Although this is good, if I want to go into a pub, (except for the fact that I have to walk straight through the cloud, to get in) it doesn't help for the majority of the time, when I'm walking around outside.

I hate sprays as well (I mean perfumes and deodorants). One of the reasons for this is that I have an allergy to some preservatives found in cosmetics and I know some sprays contain them. When someone in the swimming cubicle next to me sprays something, I will say very loudly, 'I wish people would just use a roll-on instead. Why do the have to spray stuff which might induce an asthma attack?' I know this has no effect and they probably think the anonymous person next door is being rude. But, to me they are the ultimate in rude, for contaminating my air supply. Rant over.

First time I've heard/read someone besides me complain about the smoking and the horrid smell it leaves everywhere. I guess I have more in common with people then I thought.

I not only hate the smoke and smell, it gives me difficulties breathing, if I stand next to someone who's smoking I feel as if I am suffocating. I can't inhale the stuff without coughing like crazy afterwards. Same thing with perfume.

Yes, you can add me to the voices of dissent too. I can't even talk to someone who smells of cigarette smoke because it makes me feel ill, and there's no way I can walk into a smoker's environment and be able to breathe. I also have the problem with strong perfumes and also strong-smelling cleaning products. A small amount of perfume is OK, but if I can smell it from across the room there's no way I am going near you, I will get a headache.

I don't usually have a problem with any of these things as I don't frequent social spaces and so I don't run into them. Something I did have a problem with when I was younger was my mother's fondness for incense sticks. Those things had the same effect on me as cigarette smoke and gave me a splitting headache. She would just tell me to "close my door". As if doors were an effective barrier against smells and smoke.

I think that if this person is affecting your living space in such a way you need to make it clear that it is intolerable for you for health reasons and that if he doesn't stop you will inform the staff. If you are worried about his reaction if you confront him in such a way, it may be better to request another room. I know that at the universities I went to, if there was another room available they were happy to move you if you had a problem, and if you explain that you are having difficulties with particular people because of your ASD I am sure they will be accommodating (it shouldn't matter whether you are diagnosed or not, if you are having a problem you are having a problem).

I did smoke a little bit when I was younger, stupidly. Now, I can't stand smoke. It's actually worse if I can smell it on people afterwards. If someone sits next to me on the tube and they've been smoking, I have to move because it instantly makes me feel sick, and I get travel sick anyway. If people come into work and have been smoking, I have to hand over to my colleague and leave the reception area because I feel sick. I'm really sensitive to it for some reason.

Same as above - dont get headaches from smoke but defo from perfume.
Also get that thing where if i breath in a smell i dont like, eg smoke or dog business i always feel like its inside me and its tainting me from the inside and i hate it.
Icky feeling - hard to explain - trying not to go indepth about it or i will start remembering how it smells and feel weird.
Works with sweeties though - sometimes the smell of strawberry sweeties makes me feel like ive been dipped in em - and i always feel my teeth itch like they are dissolving just through smelling them.
Why oh why do those 80s tv ads have to be so visual - i cant go near irons anymore either because of strong memory association. But thats another story

Cigarette smoke flares up my allergies and I start wheezing unless I take an antihistamine. I did smoke mint cigarettes for a week before I knew about this and then had a very bad allergic reaction so I had to stop completely. Now I can't handle second hand smoke at all.

are you sure its just cigarettes he's smoking, usually if I hear coughing and other such noises I assume cannabis or other such drugs are being smoked. Either way smoking whatever in the dorm is just stupid, especially if there aren't windows or good ventilation. I am not really bothered by it though it annoys me if other peoples cigarette smoke gets in my face even though I smoke myself, don't really get it. But yeah try to keep my smoking away from people who don't like it, Id rather go outside then make someone uncomfortable smoking in their room or house if they don't like it.......I wouldn't smoke in a dorm room either.

You're lucky you live in this day and age. Just think how much worse it'd be if you lived in a decade where almost everyone smoked (especially when people smoked indoors)