How to politely decline giving cigarettes to colleague?

[ChangingLivesOneday]

I work with a woman who is otherwise a great colleague and friend in so far as our working relationship goes but over time I've noticed that she asks me a bit too much for a cigarette. On the first few occasions I didn't think much of it and just gave her one if she asked but now I have a sneaking suspicion that she's purposefully asking me my lunch plans so she can tag along and bum a smoke.

I don't smoke during work hours, only during lunch and on the way home. But she'll occasionally come to my desk and ask if I have a cigarette which I invariably do.

I have tried only having 2 cigarettes in the pack, as such when she's asked I've been able to respond saying, "I only have two, one for lunch and one for walk to tube" (not that I should explain that to her but I feel the need to). However, I fear she'll catch on and indeed why should I only carry 2 cigarettes at a time.

I don't mind it occasionally but I can't afford to subsidise her smoking habits. As I said, she's otherwise a great colleague and we do get along but I feel myself being put off because of this smoking issue.

I'm not for the famous MN line of 'No' is a complete sentence so would welcome something a bit more tactful but indeed if the case is that I should just say 'No' then how should I handle it?

It's strange how you never have enough fags for your day, why is that?

I don't think you should honour this cheek with a lengthy excuse, or have to ensure there are only 2 fags in your packet or that she never sees the full one. Nor do I think a funny answer is good in this situation because you have to work with her. It will only awkward once

"No, sorry. It's getting too expensive. Hope you understand."

Smile and leave it. She would have to have the IQ of a broom to ask again.

So did you cut her off op?

I would just say no, TBH. Occasionally, other smoking colleagues have asked me for one and I've given then, and they've given me one back. I wouldn't keep giving them to one person.

I did used to have a friend who always scrounged my fags and it pissed me off massively, especially as I was a student on a limited income and rationed my smoking for cost reasons. She was in full time employment but didn't like to think of herself as a smoker, which apparently she would have been if she'd bought her own. After a while, I told her no and that I couldn't afford to subsidise her social smoking.