Smoke Break Etiquette
A smoke break can leave a bad taste on your mouth (even if you’re a non-smoker). Follow Modern Manners Guy’s 3 tips for proper smoke break etiquette.
Richie Frieman
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Smoke Break Etiquette
Let me start off by saying, I’m not a big fan of smoking. But to each their own, and I’m not going to rattle off the list of reasons why you should kick the habit…I’ll let my friend House Call Doctor do that! However, regardless of if you smoke or not, socializing with someone who does is just a part of life.
It is inevitable that you will have to work with a smoker at some point in your career – or perhaps you’re the smoker and non-smokers have to work with you. In any case, you’ll have to handle the hallowed event known as “the smoke break.” So before you grab your pack of cigs and head outside (to stand at least 20 feet away from your building in most cases), check out my top 3 Quick and Dirty Tips for proper smoke break etiquette.
Tip #1: Â Not Everyone Likes Smoking
Sorry, cool kids, but smoking outside the schoolyard is no longer the awesomest thing you can do. I know pop culture has given us the image of the sexy smoker, the rebel with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth, but the truth is not everyone likes smoking. And if you are a smoker, you have to remember that and be considerate of others around you who don’t enjoy the experience (or the smell, or the coughing).
I had a senior level coworker who would only eat lunch at places that allowed him to smoke (back when it wasn’t banned everywhere). He would always ask me to join him but I never wanted to go because I hate the smell of smoke. He knew I didn’t smoke but would offer possible solutions such as, “Come on, I’ll blow the smoke in the other direction.” Right, like that’s going to save me in a confined area…because smoke is obedient and stays in the designated “smoking area” of the restaurant. He just didn’t get it.
See also: Smoking Etiquette
If you’re going to take a smoke break and invite a non-smoker with you, you have to realize how uncomfortable the non-smoker will be. As an adult and a professional, you put up with people’s quirks – especially when you work with them – but that does not mean you have to like it. Putting up with someone who always spits when they talk is the perfect example (and also totally gross). It’s something the spitter can’t really control so you have to grin and bear it.
But if you are a smoker who insists on taking non-smokers outside to chat with you during your break, then that is violating a person’s kindness. If something is so important that you have to talk to them “right now,” skip the smoke break and talk inside on neutral ground.
Tip #2:  Nothing Is That Urgent…
As I said in Tip #1, many smoke breaks have to happen “right now”! Not in 5 minutes, not in 10, but now! And since I don’t smoke, I can’t say I feel your pain. The closest comparison for me is coffee. If I don’t have a large cup before the sun comes up, I lose it! However, I’m a grown up and don’t have the luxury of instant gratification all the time. So if I can’t get my caffeine fix exactly the moment I need it, then I miss out for the time being. Do I want to wait? Heck, no! But if for whatever reason (traffic, an early meeting, running late, etc.) I can’t get that first cup right away, it’s not the end of the world. I put on my big boy pants and head out of the house coffee-less until I can get my fix. And it’s the same thing with smokers.
Every smoker I know always tells me, “I need a smoke break, now.” I’d like to sympathize with them but there’s a time and place for everything. I’m sorry but if you need a smoke break but can’t take one at this time, you’ll survive. If you are with someone and you have to separate yourself from them for a smoke break, it shows that you are not focused on their time. It’s rude to think your time is more valuable than anyone else’s (if you’re a boss or a manager, that may actually be the case, but still it’s rude). Â
Tip #3: Smoke Travels
Again, I’m not trying to poke fun at smokers but the one thing that gets me is when a smoker acts as if you can’t smell the smoke on them. Even when someone steps outside for a smoke and comes back in, the smell travels. I don’t care if you smoked in a NASA wind tunnel, smoke stays on your skin and hair. No matter how much cologne or mouthwash you use, people can always tell when you’ve just finished smoking. This becomes an issue when the odor starts to distract others around you.
If you are going to take a smoke break, be mindful of the people around you or if you’re about to meet someone. It’s the same if you were going to eat certain foods that will leave a smell on your body or clothes.
I live in Baltimore and we love our steamed crabs, but they also leave your entire body reeking of Old Bay, so I wouldn’t eat them before a meeting. Same thing goes for a smoke break. If you are at someone’s house, and you go outside for a smoke bring and bring back a cloud of smoke scent, it shows you don’t respect their house rules. And of course, if you head out for a few drags before a meeting, your breath will smell, guaranteed. And if you’re meeting with a non-smoker, that will not be a comfortable situation.
Do you have a great story about improper smoke breaks? Post all the details in the comment section or on the Modern Manners Guy Facebook page.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
Man Smoking and Cigarette images courtesy of Shutterstock