Ever kissed a smoker? It's not always great, is it? I know that a number of times I've heard it compared to kissing an ashtray. It doesn't matter how sweet or passionate a kiss is if the main impression left behind is how terrible it tasted. As a lifelong non-smoker I've always preferred to date fellow non-smokers. That doesn't mean it always works out that way -- attraction is attraction after all. But given the choice, I'll always go for someone who enjoys clean air and clear, healthy lungs.

Turns out I'm not the only one. According to this, a study conducted at the University of Sydney shows that the majority of singles state they prefer to date someone who does not smoke. The study gives a number of reasons why men and women tend to seek out non-smokers. Not wanting to "kiss an ashtray" is certainly not the only reason. There's also not wanting to be inundated with harmful secondhand smoke, not wanting a potential life partner to drop dead of a heart attack or suffer with lung cancer, not wanting to sit alone at dinner while a boyfriend or girlfriend shivers out in the cold as they get their nicotine fix, and so on.

So all the smoking singles out there should stop and think about it. I realize that smoking is a very hard habit to break and has to be done for your own reasons and on your own terms. But if you're looking for love, now you have yet another good motivation.