# Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To "Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To" refers to a May 2022 TikTok trend where users filmed themselves at gas stations claiming the fumes had faded. The clips sparked debate about ethanol levels, COVID-related smell loss, and conspiracy theories about diluted fuel. By June 2022, the discussion reached Twitter and IFLScience published an article weighing the explanations. ## Origin On May 26, 2022, TikToker @b_taylor92 posted a clip from a gas station captioned "Anybody else notice gas doesn't really have a smell anymore…" The video gained over 110,000 views within two weeks[4]. The same day, @blackfoxfreedom posted a similar video arguing the government had diluted the fuel and that it now burned faster, drawing roughly 600,000 views in the same period[3]. Two days later, on May 28, @yungvec filmed a short clip at a gas station asking whether anyone else had noticed the missing smell, which reached over 9.5 million views in a week[5]. By early June, the claim had traveled far enough that journalists and other platforms began weighing in. - **Platform:** TikTok / Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2022 ## Overview Each video follows a similar setup: a person stands at a gas pump, often holding the camera up to the nozzle, and says they can no longer detect the strong petroleum smell they remember. Reactions range from sincere confusion to accusations of a government scheme to dilute fuel and sell more of it[3]. Comments on these TikToks turned into a running debate between those backing the dilution theory and others suggesting long COVID had dulled their sense of smell[2]. Variations include people sniffing gasoline directly from containers to test the claim, with @motocheez comparing the smell to rubbing alcohol[6]. The format borrows from a familiar genre of "something is off" TikTok monologues, where ordinary observations get presented as evidence of a hidden shift. News outlets picked up the discussion once an EPA ruling on ethanol levels gave the claim a plausible chemistry-based answer[1]. ## How to Use Creators typically film themselves at a gas pump, sniff the nozzle or the air, and ask viewers if they have noticed the same thing, inviting comments to debate the cause[3]. Posts often include a direct huff of fuel to prove the point, as @motocheez did[6]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To? A 2022 TikTok trend where users filmed themselves at gas stations claiming the fuel had lost its strong smell, with theories ranging from added ethanol to lingering COVID effects[3]. ### Where did Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To come from? TikToker @b_taylor92 posted the earliest known video on May 26, 2022, asking if others had noticed gas no longer had a smell[4]. A clip by @yungvec two days later reached over 9.5 million views and brought the idea into wider circulation[5]. ### What does Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To mean? The phrase captures the viral TikTok claim that gasoline fumes are weaker now than in past years, which some attribute to higher ethanol content and others link to COVID-induced loss of smell[2]. ### How do you use Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To? Creators typically film themselves at a gas pump, sniff the nozzle or the air, and ask viewers if they have noticed the same thing, inviting a comment thread to debate the cause[3]. ### Is Gas Doesn't Smell Like It Used To still popular? The trend peaked in June 2022 during a short burst of TikTok and Twitter discussion[7]. It did not develop into a lasting format after news coverage addressed the ethanol and COVID explanations[2]. ## References 1. [https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-raises-amount-ethanol-blended-gas-85169799]() 2. [https://www.iflscience.com/tiktokkers-think-gasoline-has-lost-its-smell-but-is-there-a-simpler-explanation-63954]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/gas-doesnt-smell-like-it-used-to]() 4. [https://www.tiktok.com/@b_taylor92/video/7102139355761757482]() 5. [https://www.tiktok.com/@yungvec/video/7102945222367120686]() 6. [https://www.tiktok.com/@motocheez/video/7104398717872016683]() 7. [https://twitter.com/abbieasr/status/1532428627266129926]() 8. [https://twitter.com/AShihipar/status/1532736597204017152]() 9. [https://twitter.com/kate_ptrv/status/1332398737604431874]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/gas-doesnt-smell-like-it-used-to Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library