Has anything else changed in your work recently? For instance, are you smoking more frequently (hence making the smell more likely to stick to you)? Has your boss moved desk closer to you? Anything that might have suddenly made the smell more obvious to someone.

Well, smokers smell. I assume you know that much and are (rightly) uncomfortable because it's your boss who remarked on it and did so two years in. But what did he actually say here? Did he imply that he wants you to stop smoking? That it could affect your future at the company? Seems to me like you should have just replied with a generic "Sorry about that." or "Yeah it really gets in my clothes." and that should have been the end of it. Why do you have the impression that it's a legitimate problem for your boss?

Being bothered by how you smell is not about you, it's about how you smell. Would you prefer that he be bothered and just not tell you about it? Know that plenty of people are bothered by the smell of smoke on you and don't say anything. The obvious choices would be: ignoring the comment, stopping smoking, reducing the smell, in general or with respect to your boss (and possibly other non-smokers too) by keeping your distance, or finding another job - which one you choose is completely up to you.

@Snow Not sure I agree with the edit. It seems like there was only 1 comment that bothered OP.

This is an anecdote relating to me personally, that may shed some light on your bosses statement about smell. When I encounter someone who has the smell of cigarettes on them I actually become nauseous. And depending in the strength I may have minor retching episodes. I may be on the extreme side, but have you considered that your boss may have a genuine problem with the smell your smoking causes?

Consider using E-cigarettes while at work. I had a colleague who even smoked in his office when he was alone and nobody ever notices it (I could infer that he did it from the mysterious clouds that sometimes passed by my window).

He may just be implying that you should get some Febreeze.

You have no idea how much smoking stinks. I used to smoke for about 10 years, then I quit, and only then did it become clear to me how noticeable it is. I just couldn't stand the smell on others. As a smoker you're acclimatized to it, and it just doesn't register. edit Don't mean this to be as another yes, smoking smells comment, but rather emphasize that smokers are accustomed to it and don't / can't notice.

As an aside, a smoker's body odor gets worse over time as they continue to smoke. You may very well smell much worse than you did before, even if you smoked the same amount. It gets much worse if you smoked more than you did two years ago.

Aside from being unpleasant, it's a health concern for people around you. The smell can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions - triggering migraines is really not that uncommon. Your boss pointing out that this is a problem is not insulting, unless he delivered that feedback unprofessionally.

It doesn't matter if nobody brought it up previously, they're bringing it up now. You smell bad. How to reduce negative comments? Stop doing the thing that makes you smell bad.

I have previously asked all my current colleagues... Note that many people will be non-confrontational and would never admit that you smell bad. If they don't smoke, they do notice from time to time, and it's never pleasant.

I'm a very timid individual in person. I'm also a programmer. I would have a very hard time trying to say "you smell bad because of your smoking" to someone else, even if I personally hate that smell.

Also, your boss may have started some medication that made him more sensible to some odors.

I've worked with two people who smoked, and one stank while the other only had a vague whiff occasionally. I don't know what the difference was - both smoked home-rolled pouch tobacco, both drank coffee while smoking, both would smoke in the same covered area outside.

Note that using an e-cigarette/vaping in an office, as someone suggested, is illegal in many jurisdictions. It is also probably against your company's HR policy. Most importantly though, it is a major violation of the health of all the people sitting near you. Don't do it on company property, for any reason, ever.

@Criggie - That's covered in an answer below: Learn how to smoke.

Would changing brands of tobacco help in this situation ?

I second the comment above of people having times of more sensitivity to smells. When I have a nasty flu, just smelling perfume, flavoured springles, "butter" flavoured popcorn, tobacco or trash a couple of meters away makes me nauseous.

You may or may not know this: Smoking reduces your sensitivity of smell (of smoke anyway) so the issue may have persisted longer you might think. If you confront people asking if they are ok with something, they probably will answer yes (regardless whether it is true), because this is complicated field in interpersonal relations. View it from the other perspective: They value you higher than their own comfort because otherwise you would have been removed from the job altogether otherwise without dealing with the smell.

Stop smoking. You`ll save money, age slower.

@Caterpillaraoz: Lead by example. Eat healthy. Drink healthy. Walk 10000 steps per day. Flex your mind. Don't settle. Have a peaceful and content mind. You'll save money, age slower. Contribute to charity. Participate in voluntary services. Be equally nice to everyone, rich and poor, straight and non-straight, workers and thinkers. Buy fair goods. Live and let live. You do all that already, right?

@phresnel Mostly yes. Most important thing is I replaced 2 years ago an addiction to smoking with one to rowing (my college sport) so I feel no shame at all in telling people to stop f***** smoking and be able to say I did lead by example. :)

@Caterpillaraoz: .... Please don't understand me wrong. Smokers should considerate of their environment. But so should users of perfume. Drivers. People who talk a lot in the office. Believers. Arrogants ...

@Daenyth: I agree with you there, but would like to add that not only the smell of smoke may be bad. I know many migraneurs and clusterheads who get trigged not by smoke-smell, but by perfumes, used air (i.e. when the deck does not open the windows regularly), chit chat background noise, certain kinds of lights that do not need to be on all day yet are, or by radiators turned-to-11 without sanity. In my experience, the triggers in these communities are numerous, but on average smoke-smell is the least concern to them.

@phresnel +1, that`s why when the (rare) good opportunity to tell them to be considerate arises I have no shame in telling them to :p

"How can I reduce the recent negative comments regarding my smoking at work?" Stop smoking at work.