Landlords lead push to ban smoking at home

[Forkboy]

Mass. activists sidestep fray

When apartment dwellers in Belmont, Calif., complained about cigarette fumes from down the hall, the City Council sprang into action on their behalf, outlawing smoking in apartments and condos and threatening to ticket violators.

When tobacco-control activists in Massachusetts embraced the same cause, they made a tactical decision that seemed surprisingly meek in a state long recognized for its prohibitions against harmful habits: They rejected the idea of governmental regulation.

It was one thing, they figured, for lawmakers to banish smoking from restaurants and bars. It was something else entirely to deploy city or state laws to prevent apartment tenants and condo owners from smoking in their own homes.

So, instead, they are leaving it to market forces, convinced that the supply side - landlords - will listen to the demand side - nonsmoking tenants - and adopt smoke-free rules.

It appears to be working.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/04/24/landlords_lead_push_to_ban_smoking_at_home/

This reminds me of the Dennis Leary bit when he said that eventually the only place people will be able to smoke is two miles offshore. To which he added, "And we'll do it, too!"

[babylonsister]

1. "And we'll do it, too"

Sadly, I'm in!

[Forkboy]

3. I'm thrilled that it's one habit I never took up.

It really helped that no one I hung out with smoked as a teenager, so there was never that peer pressure thing going on, or the urge to look cool (which for me would have taken a hell of a lot more than smoking anyways).

I do feel bad for smokers though. I totally understand why non-smokers are concerned about their health and all, but I still feel like taxes on smokers is just punishing someone for having an addiction. I'd be willing to bet that 9 out 10 smokers would stop if they could. But for me to complain would be hypocritical. I can hardly tell someone they're contributing to my bad health and then turn around and stuff my face with a huge steak and cheese calzone. :)

[babylonsister]

7. I don't feel denied here as a smoker. I don't 'need' to smoke in

a restaurant. I go outside at home.

I smoke, it sucks-for me.

And my parents smoked, so we all got off to a bad start.

Out of 5 kids, one never did, the other 4 did. Only two are left that smoke, and I'm one of those nimrods.

[Starry Messenger]

2. That sounds much more sensible.

My mother used to work for the city of Belmont. Oh, the stories I could tell. :P

I just quit a year ago and recently moved. Part of my reason for having to quit was that so many landlords are moving to totally non-smoking buildings. It kind of sucks there isn't more choice. I'm happy I quit, but I still believe people have the right to smoke. But if we want to limit smoking in domiciles then making it a market choice rather than illegal makes more sense.

[Forkboy]

4. This seems the logical way to go about it.

Better this than passing laws and such. I'm sure there are plenty of landlords who smoke who won't give a damn if their tenants do as well, so hopefully we can find a happy medium.

[babylonsister]

5. I own my home and it's illegal to smoke in it.

There's only two people here, we both smoke, and it's illegal. Outside works, but when that is banned, and I think it's a consideration in CA, all bets are off!

We did it after the new, painstaking paint job. Years ago. I smoke less and never regretted it.

[TahitiNut]

12. Illegal or disallowed?

Is that a house rule or a law?

[napi21]

6. Well I'm damn glad I own my house! I don't have to bow to the wishes of any landlords!

I'll put my work record and health up against any of you goodie two shoes "no smoking nuts" and I'll win! Thank God I can say if you don't like my habits, don't visit me!

[LeftyMom]

8. I've seen abatement for smoke smell in an apartment cost nearly a grand before.

One unit in the building I managed needed:

1. Total replacement of the carpet AND

2. Sealer on all the walls because the drywall had absorbed the odor AND

3. and do multiple cycles with an ozone machine to eliminate the odor.

You could STILL smell smoke, although at that point the odor was somewhat feint. To get the smell gone entirely we'd have had to tear out the ceiling and replace it, and probably seal the concrete underfloor.

The unit's previous tenant was a single woman, not a whole family of smokers or somebody hosting smoky poker nights or what have you. Even if she smoked like a chimney 24/7 (which she couldn't have, as she was also drinking herself insensate, a combination I'm a bit surprised never led to a fire) the damage that could be done by one smoker was amazing.

[madrchsod]

15. my sister in law`s apartment was yellow from the smoke..

every surface in the apt. was covered with a yellow cigarette coating that was like thin paint. the smoke had actually dissolved some of the plastic surfaces. the gasket seal around the refrigerator was permanently stained yellow.

when she moved they spent thousands to rebuild the apartment.

[LeftyMom]

18. I've seen walls that sweat yellow stuff after repainting

if the walls aren't coated. A lot of the time you'll see it in the bathroom but nowhere else, if young people are sneaking cigs in there with the fan on. The smoke saturates the walls, and in the moist conditions that shit just oozes back out on the next tenant. It's disgusting.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Maybe some enterprising landloard will advertise "smoking permitted"

Free market and all of that...

[Forkboy]

10. I'd bet on it.

And I think that was the intent of not trying to make laws about it. Let the landlords decide.

I definitely see some doing just as you say.

[Politicalboi]

11. It's really the insurance companies

That make the push. If you allow smoking in your building we won't cover you.

[ddeclue]

13. The landlords are right!

Why should other people have to smell the smoke.

Worse yet it is an unnecessary fire risk.

If my landlord can tell me what kind of pets I can have, I don't see how saying "non smoker" is any different.

It's NOT my home - I just rent it. HE owns it.

Doug D.

[KillCapitalism]

14. Yeah I agree with that.

It's quite a health issue, for example a family with young children that have asthma or other respiratory conditions might have an apartment rented to them where a smoker previously lived.

[Mind_your_head]

16. I don't know about smoke......

but that D*MN dog that keeps barking every morning between 6-8:00 am REALLY DISTURBS MY "peace". The d*mn dog DOES disturb me much more than any radius a smoker could EVER *puff* affect. I'm gonna call animal control/the village!

You anti-smoking people are so, how should I say...."full of yourselves" and your own self-righeousness.

We all should be so lucky to live in a *bubble* where we have the LUXURY of not having to put up with other people's lives ~ and hence, foibles. And keep your dog's *BARK* inside your own g-d d*mned YARD!!!! I don't wanna hear it! I'm gonna call animal control. You & your dog are a nuisance to the peace of the neighborhood. I think we should ban dogs that bark.

[BR_Parkway]

17. And he'd also have the right to tell you no vehicles on site - why should

the rest of us have to smell the exhaust and get poisoned by all those fumes.

I can't wait for the day when every person complaining about someone else's cigarette smoke has completely given up their automobiles before pointing fingers at other's actions.