Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 77.99.12.140 (talk) at 16:06, 28 May 2014 (→Causes: edited some of the more contentious statements without references, article still needs citations from valid third-party sources). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Smoking fetishism (also known as capnolagnia) is a sexual fetish based on the sight or image of a person smoking. For many, the fetish appears to have had its roots in early childhood. It is classically conditioned and shaped by many variables. These could include seeing the smoker as a stereotypically sweet, innocent individual behaving in ways that are considered taboo. For others, it stems from an attraction to more worldly people whose smoking epitomizes their strength and self-confidence. Within gay culture, this fetish often stems from the image of masculinity. A 2003 study found that the fetish was not previously the subject of academic study but had been mentioned in "a few newspapers".

Fetish videos

According to a 2003 study, in fetish videos of smoking women, nudity is not necessary, and what matters is (they quote) "the look, the attitude, the mannerism of smoking." The Wall Street Journal reported in 1996 on the success of a $35 video called "Paula" which featured a woman "inhaling, exhaling and blowing the occasional set of smoke rings."

Causes

The reasons why a man or woman has a smoking fetish may vary from person to person.

Some fetishists have a fascination with the addictive properties of nicotine, and its ability to cause harm, and there is a sub-fetish relating to people being harmed by smoking, sometimes called "the dark side", "black lung fetish" or "lung damage".

Smoking has been feminized especially with the advent of fashion brands specifically marketed towards women, drawing the attention of some fetishists who see the use of these brands as a way for women to increase or enhance their sexual appeal. Most often this fascination is focused on young, fashion-conscious professional women who are target demographic for these brands, which are differentiated by slimness and added length over traditional brands of cigarettes.

The increasing intensity of anti-smoking campaigns, moreover, turns smoking into a transgressive and taboo act; eroticized images of men and women smoking may take some of their power from depicting a taboo being broken. Another cultural source for the fetish may be eroticized depictions of men and women who smoke in older motion pictures, especially from the film noir era.

Misdiagnosis of capnolagnia

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.

A misdiagnosis may occur when a hierarchical proceeding is not followed. According to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems manual, as criteria are not repeated in sub-stages this can be mistakable to laymen or medics that have not been educated in the use of this manual.

Symptoms

Capnolagnia symptoms consist in the attraction that one has for women or men who are smoking. Whether it is the smell or just the image, people who get sexually aroused by people of the other or same sex and who are smoking are considered smoking fetishists.

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.

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.

References

1. ^ Ribisl KM, Lee RE, Henriksen L, Haladjian HH, "A content analysis of Web sites promoting smoking culture and lifestyle", Health Educ Behav. 2003 Feb;30(1):64-78
2. Hwang, Suein (31 Jan 1996). "Drag Queens: Paula Puffs and Her Fans Watch, Enraptured". Wall Street Journal. p. A1.
3. "Smoking Fetish Star". Retrieved 2013-10-10.
4. "Symptoms of Capnolagnia". Retrieved 2010-04-22.
5. "Treatments for Capnolagnia". Retrieved 2010-04-22.

• Cigarettes
• Paraphilias
• Sexual fetishism