For Some Smokers, Even Home Is Off Limits

[The Straight Story]

For Some Smokers, Even Home Is Off Limits

The movement to ban smoking in New York City has grown so quickly that no place seems immune — certainly not restaurants or bars, and public beaches and parks may not be far behind. Now the efforts are rapidly expanding into the living room.

More landlords are moving to prohibit smoking in their apartment buildings, telling prospective tenants they can be evicted if they light up in them.

.....

Other cities, through legislation or by initiatives of developers, have taken similar steps. In California, for example, all apartments and condos in Richmond, near San Francisco, must outlaw cigarette smoking, according to an ordinance passed in July. Across the bay in Belmont, a ban on smoking in apartments took effect in January after a 14-month grace period, with $100 fines possible for offenders.

....

“If we’re talking about annoying odors, where do you draw the line?” she said. “What about cooking odors, from fish or curry?”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/nyregion/16smoke.html

[damntexdem]

1. Good. Why let people destroy property with noxious residues?

Anyone who's stayed in a hotel room that a smoker has smoked in can testify to how horrible it is to inhabit a room a smoker has ruined.

[The Straight Story]

2. Should we let hotel owners choose, or you?

I think we should let the owners choose. Their business, their choice.

[justabob]

10. this is what I have never understood

Why can't a restauranteur or bar owner (or hotelier in this case) decide they WANT to serve the smoking public. Why is that a problem? The employees? If they don't want to be in a smokey room they don't have to get a job there. And no one who doesn't like/can't be around smoke never has to set foot in the place. I don't get it.

[musicblind]

11. Well i work as an entertainer in gay clubs in the area

the owner of the club I work at most often wants to go non-smoking and tried it. However, other gay clubs were able to use this to lure a lot of his patrons away and he was forced to allow smoking again. It is hard to be competitive as a gay club owner in such a conservative state. He doesn't smoke, I don't smoke, the people who work at the front door don't smoke, yet if they want to work doing what they love (running a night club and providing entertainment for the gay community) then they have to risk cancer. Why? Because our state has not yet outlawed smoking in nightclubs. If and when our state does do this then we will be able to work in a safe environment while on equal footing with the competition.

[justabob]

12. well, that is a different situation

I was thinking about places where there are already bans in place. I totally understand where you are coming from being a non-smoker in a smoking place with no options besides getting out of the business(not an option really I know). I do not understand why a person who wants to take advantage of the greatly reduced smoking public can't do it. Nonsmokers etc never have to go there.

[virgogal]

13. Are there more smokers than average in your state? Before

MA went smoke-free it was the non-smoking clubs and restaurants that did the most business.

I'm surprised it didn't work in your situation.

[Diane R]

4. Completely agree. They have no idea how vile they smell.

[ecstatic]

3. Do fish or curry smells last a long time?

No. But I've stayed a hotel rooms that smell like cigarette smoke long after the last person checked out.

[joeybee12]

5. We're not talking about simply annoying odors...nice to see they

quoted an addict.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. One doesn't get cancer and die from cooking odors.

My dad was addicted, but agreed from very early on in my life to take his smoking outside - much to the relief of my brother, mother and I. He realized he was addicted, and realized it was harmful. And he eventually managed to quit - for which he had immense respect from his family.

[WVRICK13]

7. I Agree With Exceptions

If you are renting a condo or apartment or if you are staying in a hotel I think you should love by the rules of the owner. If you bought the condo what you do in it is your business. When we tell people they cannot partake in a legal substance in their own home we are crossing the line to totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is wrong if it is the religious right or the health conscious left. An infringement of rights is an infringement no matter where it originated.

[virgogal]

9. If the bylaws of the condo decides no smoking---then it's no smoking.

[WVRICK13]

18. I Know That

but when we start telling people what they can do in a home they purchase we are fucked. Shades of Nazism.

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. Lived an apartment with a chain smoking crazy next door neighbor

The shit came through the walls. The paint was literally turning yellow in MY apartment. And it wasn't from me cooking curry.

[bbinacan]

15. I have to call bullshit here.

What kind of POS apartment did you live in?
:smoke:

[Donnachaidh]

16. what an utter load of horse-hockey!

"Smoke came thru the walls"

Live in a refrigerator box dude? :sarcasm:

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. Yes, it did.

As I said, the walls were turning yellow and the stench was horrible.

On the Phillip Morris payroll dude? :sarcasm:

[stray cat]

14. Parents smoking in the house with their asthmatic children

They had regular trips to the ER to help the child breath - sometimes having to speed to get their on time - but never thought anything about smoking in the house with the kids in the room.