Whether you smoke or not, that’s entirely your own choice, and the effects of smoking are very well known these days. So if you decide to smoke, at least you know that your decision will only affect you and you alone. Well, actually that last part isn’t one hundred percent accurate; if you smoke near someone, they too might well feel the effects of your decision. Your smoke might invade their space, and while many of us don’t take that too seriously, for some it’s a major issue.
One reader, Jordan, who is very badly affected by second-hand smoke, wrote in to air his views, and to emphasise how serious this issue is for some people. Over to you, Jordan …
Cigarette smoke … how it affects me
Thanks so much for taking the time to read what I have to say, this is very important, both for myself and for many others. I need to bring up the issue of excessive cigarette smoke. I have mods throughout my unit (ones that most places wouldn’t even allow, so I lucked out on that one), but unless if I were to somehow literally seal myself in one hundred percent (which, even if I could, it would be a disaster) there is no way (at least, that I know of) to always keep the smoke out.
Smoke can get through doors into the hall, into the elevator, it can come through even the tiniest of gaps, or from other floors, etc. Relatively often, it is horrible from outdoors late at light to early in the morning, people smoking from their balconies, in their units while leaving the door open, or opening it at random times to air out their unit. It is often the absolute worst, and even new windows or doors don’t always keep it out.
But a fair number of days it isn’t as bad and some of it goes through the hallway on and off, but at times even the hallway gets stunk up horribly (at least on the floor I’m on) and smoke still comes from units even when the doors and windows are closed. I am one of those who is really sensitive to it and it isn’t as simple as just moving, and even if I somehow had the money, I don’t know of any units that have either a zero tolerance or something like a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy for smokers.
Usually, I am able to keep things pretty good in my place, but just as someone might have mild to moderate hay fever, I’ve got that with cigarette smoke (headaches, sore throat, breathing troubles, itchy skin, burning eyes/lungs, makes me feel like vomiting, messes with my head, etc).
It’s not like I can just call 911 (noise complaints seem to be taken much more seriously than smoke, even though worldwide tobacco kills over three million a year – that … is … a … fact). Just to let you all know, I don’t go off automatically hatin’ everyone who smokes … I hate the smoke itself …
Confine cigarette smoke to smokers!
It would be nice if they had smokers-only apartment buildings (as well as any non-smokers who for whatever reason(s) wanted to be there as well), with the rest of the buildings being for non-smokers only, so that (allergic or not) we don’t have to suffer, whether it be anywhere from hardly being noticed to major, because let’s face it, it’s not healthy no matter how you look at it, and if there is anything at all that I can do (aside from going to jail), I would be eternally grateful 🙂
Hope to hear from you soon and have an excellent day 🙂
<< Your Pages