# Word of the Day: Capnophobia



## debodun

Capnophobia -  an intense hatred or fear of smoking or having anyone around who is in the immediate vicinity polluting the air with tobacco smoke.

My capnophobia was triggered when I attended a baby shower and all the attendees were smoking.


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## Aunt Marg

Capnoophobia didn't exist in the 60's and 70's when I was growing up.


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## RubyK

I know many people who experience capnophobia nowadays. When I was younger and worked in offices, it was okay to smoke at your desk.


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## Aunt Marg

RubyK said:


> I know many people who experience capnophobia nowadays. When I was younger and worked in offices, it was okay to smoke at your desk.


I so remember the days, Ruby.

I remember the stand-up ashtrays in departments stores... cigarette butts on the floor, and the clothing always had a cigarette smoke smell about it.


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## Autumn

When I was a kid, our family doctor would sit at his desk and smoke while talking to patients.  He advised my aunt to smoke menthol cigarettes, he said they were good for asthma...

I've always hated smoking, maybe because both of my parents smoked and it just seemed so yucky.


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## Ruthanne

I believe I have some capnophobia, too, as I can't stand to be in a room where someone is smoking.


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## tbeltrans

It wasn't until more recently that I have even heard the term "phobia" linked with the word "hatred".  It has otherwise always seemed to refer to a fear of one sort or another such as acrophobia (fear of heights), claustrophobia (fear of tight or enclosed spaces), arachnophobia (fear of spiders), etc.

According to medicalnewstoday.com, a phobia is "a type of anxiety disorder. It causes a person to experience overwhelming or debilitating fear of a situation or thing that typically does not pose any real danger".

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/list-of-phobias

Tony


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## peramangkelder

I am a 'reformed' smoker so no Capnophobia here....in fact I stand downwind so I can smell the tobacco smoke


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## Ruthanne

peramangkelder said:


> I am a 'reformed' smoker so no Capnophobia here....in fact I stand downwind so I can smell the tobacco smoke


I, too, am an x smoker but still can't stand to be in a room filled with it.


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## Ruthanne

tbeltrans said:


> It wasn't until more recently that I have even heard the term "phobia" linked with the word "hatred".  It has otherwise always seemed to refer to a fear of one sort or another such as acrophobia (fear of heights), claustrophobia (fear of tight or enclosed spaces), arachnophobia (fear of spiders), etc.
> 
> According to medicalnewstoday.com, a phobia is "a type of anxiety disorder. It causes a person to experience overwhelming or debilitating fear of a situation or thing that typically does not pose any real danger".
> 
> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/list-of-phobias
> 
> Tony


Typically doesn't pose any danger..but then capnophobia must be an exception to the rule as cigarette smoke does pose a real danger.


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## win231

Autumn said:


> When I was a kid, our family doctor would sit at his desk and smoke while talking to patients.  He advised my aunt to smoke menthol cigarettes, he said they were good for asthma...
> 
> I've always hated smoking, maybe because both of my parents smoked and it just seemed so yucky.


Yup, and doctors still say whatever they're paid to say today.  In the past, many doctors advised pregnant women to smoke to relieve morning sickness.  Dr. Oz promoted Green Coffee for weight loss.


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## win231

And all this time, I thought it was a fear of capital letters...


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## tbeltrans

Ruthanne said:


> Typically doesn't pose any danger..but then capnophobia must be an exception to the rule as cigarette smoke does pose a real danger.



Very true. It seems that meaning of the word "phobia" is being changed to broaden its scope and then applied to all manner of situations that don't fit the original intention of the term.  Examples of this abound in recent years.

Tony


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## Sliverfox

Seems like everyone has covered the use of capnophobia  with good examples.


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