Blond sexy lady smoking a cigarette at Christmas, outside a classy bar in George Street, Edinburgh City Centre, Scotland, UK

Smoking fetishism (also known as capnolagnia) is a sexual fetish based on the pulmonary consumption (smoking) of tobacco, most often via cigarettes, cigars, and also, pipes and hookahs to some extent. As a fetish, its mechanisms regard sexual arousal from the observation or imagination of a person smoking, sometimes including oneself 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.[2] A 2003 study found that the fetish was not previously the subject of academic study but had been mentioned in "a few newspapers" 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: aesthetics: mere attraction to, and gratification of, the visual aspect of smoke as it exits the mouth childhood: experience or interaction with one or more attractive smoking individuals during childhood impulsivity: perceived symbolism of an audacious or impulsivity personality, insinuating promiscuity mannerism: masculine or feminine body language of smokers media: early exposure to sexualized depictions of smokers, especially from advertising media, the film noir era, and pornography[4] persuasion: perceived power of convincing or urging another individual to smoke psychosexual development: phenomena in the oral and phallic stages of childhood development, based on Freudian theory sadomasochism: pleasure from infliction of bodily harm caused by smoking, often called "lung damage" self-confidence: perceived confidence or masculinity of the smoker, regarding taboo or wealth taboo: perceived independence or rebellion regarding the act of smoking, amongst cultural adversity to sm