Febreeze and mouth wash. Sorry.

Good for you for quitting. I have not been a smoker (have plenty of other vices!) but I understand the difficulty of changing a habit. Would be interesting to hear the views of others like you who have quit and the changes they have noticed.

Somewhere, a while back, I read a chart that lists the positive changes in your body with 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, etc. of quitting smoking. Lower blood pressure, larger lung capacity, etc. It was really eye opening.

I am sure the sense of smell is in there somewhere in the first few weeks as being greatly improved. I bet yours has improved since you stopped smoking.

Do you think he would ever quit? The health benefits are so great.

He says he plans to soon & I am praying that he will but it has to be on his own terms, I wont nag him about it. He tells me how proud he is of me but that he is scared that he will fail. I tell him he has more will power than I do, so if I can quit he can. Then, I will have a crying jag and he looks at me like, ummmm....no, I won't even try if thats whats gonna happen to me, lol!

Congratulations on quitting. Hubby and quit together. Hubby is almost 65 and I'm 55. He smoked since he was a teenager, me in the twenties. We did it together, we knew we could not do it with out the other. He got an upper respiratory infection and couldn't smoke, I made the decision to give it a try and we did it. Yes, smokers really smell to us especially when they are smoking outside in the cold. The cold weather makes it worse in my opinion. The smell is much stronger.

For hubby he taste salt much better to the point that some salted butter is too much. For me, just the smell.

Good luck and I hope your hubby finds a way to do it. Your success will increase if he is able to do it.

Congrats on quitting! My husband is a smoker and I am not. I have always hated the smell. I never got used to it. Not sure you will.

A few years ago he starting vaping instead of smoking. I am not saying this is a healthy choice, better choice etc, etc, but it is less smelly. Way less. Doesn't get in the hair, clothes, etc.

My husband switched to vaping after many failed attempts to quit smoking. He thought by lowering his nicotine usage he would eventually quit, but so far that has not happened.

I too could not stand the smell of DH's mustache once I quit. He finally quit because the grands would tell him he smells. And ask him why he smokes. I can still smell a smoker when I'm near one.

It took 2 years, but he did quit, but he tells me that if he has a fatal disease he will go back to smoking, as he misses it. Told him his hospital bed would be in the garage!

I quit 11 yrs ago and still can not stand to even pass by a smoker, they just reek of smoke. Even if I am outdoors I can smell it in the air. I feel for you, I don't think there is anyway to get relief unless you start back up or he quits.

Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry about this. You are smart not to nag. It has to come from him, as your desire did as well. Sending you a hug because this is not easy.

Hi Lisa,

Congrats on having kept the faith, so far.

How about ... when you see him coming, with that, "How about a kiss?" look in his eye ...

... take a really big, deep breath - and hold it.

Beginning now, practice taking those big, deep breaths ... and seeing how long you can hold them.

Maybe that'll improve things ... until he works up the courage to quit.

And, maybe not tell him directly, but drop a hint here and there that's it's not a testament to lack of courage for grown men to cry.

If he tries ... and gets a crying jag ... just shrug the shoulders ... grin ... and go on to whatever the next thing in life is to be.

No big deal.

But - quitting ... is a big deal. Health-wise.

Maybe/probably? a few years chopped off the end of one's life ... and sometimes substantial discomfort prior to the end.

ole joyful

Congratulations. I can imagine that your sense of smoke is heightened now. Have faith that DH will be moved to quit, and soon!

Sending another Congrats your way. That is so wonderful!!

What you'll probably find over time is that you'll become more and more sensitive to walking through smoke and/or that terrible smell.

I only smoked socially once or twice a week, but quit entirely almost 20 years ago. Ever since then, I've have a very difficult time being around anyone who is smoking or even smells of smoke. Getting onto an elevator or walking into a room that wreaks of stale cigarette smoke literally tosses my stomach and gives me a headache.

Maybe you can have a serious heart to heart with your husband and just be honest with him about how his habit is now affecting you. It's not what you say, it's how you say it and if you're kind and sincere about it, maybe it will get him to finally take the plunge and quit himself.

On a side note, my mother smoked for decades but finally quit about 25-30 years ago. Last October she had a small cyst like bump on her cheek that wouldn't go away so she went to have it checked. The doctor took a biopsy and sadly, it turned out to be Salvery Gland cancer. It's a less common aggressive cancer that affects older people who have smoking in their history. It didn't matter that it had been years since she'd quit, it quickly spread to her brain and lungs and then we lost her in July.

There really is NOTHING positive about smoking so again I congratulate you and I really hope you're able to convince your DH to quit.

ETA: Sorry, don't mean to put a damper on your wonderful news, it's just after loosing my mother to a smoking related cancer, I'm uber sensitive about how it can ruin one's life, even when it's been years since someone quit.

Thank you lukkiirish, I am very sorry to hear about your Mom. I can only hope I quit in time & will continue to repair the damage I have done to my body over the last 30 years.

Also, I sincerely appreciate everyone's encouragement. I still have days that I want to throw in the towel but I simply refuse to give in, one day at a time...sometimes 1 hour at time, I can do this. I will be so happy when hubby joins me for a healthier (and better smelling) life.

I think you'll get past it when he quits. I quit 40+ years ago because my husband quit first. One thing he taught me about making decisions (although not that particular decision) is to ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that can happen?" In your husband's case, he's afraid he'll fail. That is the worst thing that can happen, but it's really not so terrible. If he fails, he can try again. Plenty of people have successfully quit after several attempts.

My advice? Do what I did and take a trip. I quit smoking while accompanying my husband on a business trip to Wisconsin. Quitting was no fun (and I was no fun to be around), but being away from home got me away from my habitual smoking places and smoking people. After a week I knew I'd never smoke again because I didn't want to go through that again. Cravings hung on for some time, and I dreamed about smoking for much longer than that, but I never picked up another cigarette.

I hope your admirable success inspires your husband to do the same.

I quit smoking way back in the seventies, and it STILL bothers me to smell smoke on anyone. Mt grandkids don't smoke in the house when I visit, but when I arrive home everything in my luggage goes right in the washer as all clothing smells of smoke.

The reason I broeke up with one GF was she would be smoking before coming over. I laid down the rule that in my house, you will brush your teeth, shower and use mouthwash before coming over. No, you aren't going to sneak a cigarette in the car on the way over and tell me you hadn't smoked. I quit a 5 pack a day habit so I know what it's like and it's really not a big thing once you decide you WANT to quit. No matter what you do, you'll never quit if you don't WANT to quit. She would cry how she tried to quit so many times and had all the excuses but of course they wouldn't work with me. I flat out told her she didn't want to quit so don't even talk about it. I said she'll smoke until she decides to quit. She finally admitted I was right. I never pester someone to quit. If they ask I ask why they'd want to quit. If it's "oh, I SHOULD...", that isn't going to work. If it's "people are nagging me..." that isn't going to work. (So don't nag someone, it will generally work against you.) Yes, it takes a motivation pretty much unique to the person and my motivation is not likely the same as the next person's. For me it was money. I would still enjoy a cigarette or cigar. I liked the taste of them. But I have certain things I won't splurge on and tobacco is one these days.

Congratulations on your accomplishment! My advice? Don't make his habit your problem. Either he'll quit or he won't and it's his choice, not yours.

Congratulations on quitting. So many can't. I hope your husband can join you soon.

I can't stand to smell someone that's been smoking. It is so offensive to me. I hope your husband will see the light and stop smoking! It certainly should be incentive to stop, knowing how bad you hate the smell. My husband smoked before we ever met and he absolutely hates the smell of cigarette smoke and gets annoyed when someone is hanging outside of a store's door smoking because the smoke gets on him and up his noses and he hates it. I try to remind him "that was you at one time, just remember that". The other day we were in a restaurant sitting near someone that reeked of cigarette smoke...it was nauseating! I was so glad when they left!

Lisa, welcome to the world of ex-smokers. It seems like it's worse (probably isn't) for those of us who quit and then had to deal with the smell. I quit in the 80's and I still can smell a smoker several feet away. I quit after my husband, so I don't know how he stood me and my smoker-stink, lol! But he and my DD did nag me a bit to quit. And I did. Not from their nagging, but on my own one day just decided to do it.

Hugs to you and I hope your DH makes the big move sooner rather than later.

Isn't it strange how we never thought "We" stunk when we smoked? Believe me Non smokers can smell it every time!

I know right, I have been told by non-smoking friends that they never knew I smoked because they never smelled it......not sure if they were just being nice or what.....

Thank you LisaW, so glad to see you're sticking with it. Once she quit my Mom went through several noticable changes, especially with her skin and her breathing. She always had this hooping type cough and that went away almost immediately. Within a 6 months to a year, her skin was so much healthier looking.

I quit after losing sight in one eye. Bottom line... high BP and cholesterol confirmed... not a surprise. Doctor said those 2 things could be managed by diet and/or medication,,, and were probable contributing factors. BUT smoking could NOT be controlled... even cutting down... I smoked a LOT. That was about 2 1/2 years ago. If someone walks by smoking, I inhale that aroma with no real guilt. BUT when someone who smokes walks into a room... they REEK.

Stay QUIT, improve you health and your wallet.

The worst thing ... is that he might fail?

Not quite - the worst thing is that it might give him bad health ... maybe kill him, too early in life.

ole joyful

I think besides getting sick that a very bad thing would be that he believes he can't do it the first or 20th time he tries to quit! Keep trying to quit is the real secret to quitting smoking to me.

Hopefully you're avoiding breathing in his smoke because 2nd hand smoking is very hard on you. It is a noted health hazard for everyone, but particularly women and children.

I read years ago that extra vit c helps to counteract the damage of smoking. You could look it up. If so maybe a good multivitamin might help you and your DH. Best to you in your journey.

Go, Lisa!!

Good for you, it is hard but worth it. I never smoked but lost part of my lung to cancer. My husband quit before I came home from the hospital & that was 24 years ago.

I quit "cold turkey" after my vision problem. I can NOT say it was easy, cuz it wasn't. Prior to that, I had quit for maybe 6 months. Then on weekend, was "bored", bought a pack and was right back in the habit. If smoking was NOT dangerous/harmful or expensive, I'd probably still be doing ti... just being honest.

llsaw... stay QUIT, you can do this. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say... WE are here for support!

yeonassky - no, he doesn't smoke around me. He is very respectful, thank goodness, lol.

I cant say I don't miss it, I truly do at times. I don't however miss spending all that money & having to "sneak away" for a puff when I am around non-smokers. I have almost no friends left that smoke. The challenge for me is my DH, my Mom, my sister, my DD & SIL, all smoke & I am around them a lot....all have been very respectful tho & try to keep their distance if we are on the porch or what not.... I do find myself longing to join them all on the porch for a smoke when I am the only one sitting in the house watching them out the window.....sigh.

I thought it was only nutty old me! So, there must be something that causes ex-smokers to be super sensitive to smoke after they quit.

I smoked from age 14 to 22 and then quit. I have never smoked since. But I have a nose like a bird dog for a quail when it comes to cigarette or cigar smoke (most pipes don't bother me much, but then one rarely sees a pipe smoker anymore). When we were in Maine living in a dorm apt, I was constantly yelling to my husband that the boys were smoking upstairs - I could smell it in the dead of winter with the windows all closed and no forced air - baseboard heat. He'd go upstairs and catch them. They were all SO glad when I went home in late March!

My beloved yard man is a smoker and he reeks of it. I'd have him do more indoor work for me but I can't stand the smell. He polishes my silver but I have him do it in the basement wash tubs (easier anyway). I offered him $500 if he quit for a year, but he just can't. He's a black man of 50 whose father died in his 60's of heart disease, and as a black man and a smoker he knows he's at greater risk of prostate cancer and knows my husband (a non-smoker) died from it. But he's hooked and so is his wife. What an incredible waste of money and a major health risk.