Smoking fetishism

Smoking fetishism (also known as capnolagnia) is a sexual fetish based on the pulmonary consumption (smoking) of tobacco, most often via cigarettes or cigars. As a fetish, its mechanisms regard sexual arousal from the observation or imagination of a person smoking, sometimes including oneself.

A 2003 study found that the fetish was not previously the subject of academic study but had been mentioned in "a few newspapers".^[1]

Characteristics

Causes

Like any fetish, the causes and mechanisms of a smoking fetish vary widely, with roots of sexual association in early childhood and adolescence. Typical causes and hypotheses include:

• childhood: experience or interaction with one or more attractive smoking individuals during childhood
• media: early exposure to sexualized depictions of smokers, especially from advertising media, the film noir era, and pornography^[2][3]
• mannerism: masculine or feminine body language of smokers
• taboo: perceived independence or rebellion regarding the act of smoking, amongst cultural adversity to smokers
• impulsivity: perceived symbolism of an audacious or impulsivity personality, insinuating promiscuity
• wealth: attraction to individuals who are wealthy enough to fund a cigarette or cigar habit
• self-confidence: perceived confidence or masculinity of the smoker, regarding taboo or wealth
• persuasion: perceived power of convincing or urging another individual to smoke
• sadomasochism: pleasure from infliction of bodily harm caused by smoking, often called "lung damage"
• psychosexual development: phenomena in the oral and phallic stages of childhood development, based on Freudian theory

Diagnosis

The diagnostic criteria for fetishism are:

• Unusual sexual fantasies, drives or behavior occur over a time span of at least six months. Sometimes unusual sexual fantasies occur and vanish by themselves; in this case any medical treatment is not necessary.
• The affected person, her object or another person experience impairment or distress in multiple functional areas. Functional area refers to different aspects of life such as private social contacts, job, etc. It is sufficient for the diagnosis if one of the participants is being hurt or mistreated in any other way.

People who experience one or more of the symptoms below are considered to have a smoking fetish:

• Sexual interest in watching other people smoking.
• Recurring intense sexual fantasies involving watching other people smoking.
• Recurring intense sexual urges involving watching other people smoking.^[4]

However, capnolagnia is not considered a disease but an unusual sexual practice, and many of the fetishists do not seek medical help unless this behavior strongly interferes with their daily lives. The majority of people simply learn to accept their fetish and manage to achieve gratification in an appropriate manner.^[5]

References

Cigarettes Types Fashion Fire safe Kretek Lights Menthol Beedi Components Tobacco Rolling paper Filter Additives Peripherals Ashtray Case Holder Lighter Pack Receptacles Vending machine Culture Cigarette card Cigarette smoking among college students Loosie Smoking fetishism Tobacco smoking Health issues Chain smoking Cigarette smoking for weight loss Nicotine poisoning Passive smoking Third-hand smoke Schizophrenia and smoking Sidestream smoke Smoking cessation Tobacco harm reduction Related products Nicotine patch Nicotine gum Nicotine inhaler Nicotine lozenge Electronic cigarette Candy cigarette Herbal cigarette Tobacco industry Cultivation of tobacco Egyptian cigarette industry History of commercial tobacco in the United States Tobacco advertising Government and the law Cigarette smuggling Illicit cigarette trade Plain cigarette packaging Smoking age Smoking bans in private vehicles Tobacco control movement Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement Tobacco packaging warning messages Tobacco politics WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Lists Cigarette brands Cigarette smoke carcinogens Countries by cigarette consumption per capita Rolling papers Smoking bans Category Commons