How to Be in a Relationship With a Smoker
Being in a relationship with a smoker can be a challenge. There are health and comfort issues that can make a non-smoker unhappy. The key to maintaining a relationship with a smoker is to reach a few compromises about the smoking.
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Instructions
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Agree
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Decide where smoking can take place. There should be areas where the smoker is free to smoke and areas where the non-smoker can be assured of a smoke-free environment. The agreement should include which cars and homes are for smoking. If there are areas within a home that are smoke-free, those should be agreed upon as well.
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Insist that the boundaries be maintained. Most non-smokers don't wish to breathe in second-hand smoke on a regular basis. If the rules are broken enough times, it can add up to a health risk for the non-smoker. It can also be a point of contention in the relationship. Make sure that the smoker understands that the boundaries are important to you and to your relationship.
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Keep mints on hand. Non-smokers are accustomed to the taste of tobacco smoke in their mouths. They may not be aware of how it tastes to others. Rather than continually reminding the smoker that they taste like smoke, keep mints on hand and give them to the smoker periodically. He will get the hint and will eventually remember to do it on his own.
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Get used to the smell of smoke. Even within designated non-smoking areas, the smell will cling to the smoker's clothes and in the smoker's car. If the smell bothers you too much, supply a jacket that can be worn over the smoky clothing and take your own non-smoking car when you go out together. If the smell bothers you too much, try an odor-neutralizing spray like Febreze. The spray can be used on any fabrics and will get rid of the smell of smoke in less than an hour.
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