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I am a woman with asthma, that is usually kept under control. I live in a large apartment complex in North Carolina, Triangle area.
I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke. This complex has many smokers, who leave their butts everywhere. They stand outside and pollute the breezways. But, the one thing that I cannot walk away from is my neighbor below us.
He sits on his patio, and smokes, and coughs and smokes and coughs some more. Just the sound of his horrible cough is upsetting enough. But, due to my asthma I am becoming sicker and sicker. It comes straight up into my apartment. I feel as if I am smoking, it is horrible and my asthma has gotten worse since he moved in.
Please do not tell me to close my windows, as I need fresh air and do not want to live in a stagnant apart. Also, when my wiindows are closed the apartment then reeks of cigarettes. The entire situation is really upsetting and damaging to my health.
Does any one know if I can get out of my lease to move, due to this? If so what are the steps?
I have thought about asking if I can move to another unit, but there is no guarantee this will not happen again. It seems almost everyone here smokes.
That's weird since I too have asthma and am a smoker but doesn't bother me until the cold weather arrives. Have you talk to your neighbors about your issue?
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-20-2011 at 10:40 AM..
Reason: Deleted off-topic comments
hardwood floor glues, etc), that I certainly open my windows and put a fan up every few days to air our my place. I easily can smell if someone is smoking upwind for quite a distance.
Her breathing sensitivity is probably considerably touchier and other peoples smells that much more unpleasant.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-20-2011 at 10:41 AM..
Reason: Edited out deleted comment and your response to it.
As for the OPs problem. I certainly empathize. There are enough sources of indoor air pollution from construction material out-gassing (carpets, padding, paint, hardwood floor glues, etc), that I certainly open my windows and put a fan up every few days to air our my place. I easily can smell if someone is smoking upwind for quite a distance.
Her breathing sensitivity is probably considerably touchier and other peoples smells that much more unpleasant.
I live on the lowest floor in my building and find that it's best to avoid cigarette smoke. After all, smoke mostly wafts upward. That said, I too find my terrace littered with others' cigarette butts (my terrace extends out from the ones above me). I have complained to the HOA and have even put notes on the doors of the 5 floors above me about the butts. Yet, they keep on coming.
In the end, I have come to accept that people around me will smoke outside and I make the best decisions I can to mitigate that issue. However, I still have to contend with their litter and rudeness. I don't know what it is with some smokers that they think they can drop butts anywhere they like. I know that all smokers are not rude and I know some smokers that are so polite about it that I never see them smoking and I never see the evidence.
My advise to the OP is to move to an apartment on the lowest floor with a door to the exterior that doesn't require walking through other peoples' breezeway area. You might have to contend with butts every now and then but it would be better than the smokey air.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-20-2011 at 10:42 AM..
Reason: Edited quoted text and your response to it.
I too hear your pain. I was just traveling and was exposed to more smoke than I have been in a long time and it really affected me. You are in a tough spot.
My experience is that smokers really have no idea of the smell or problem to those that are sensitive to smoke. I also think butts are a fire hazard in addition to everything else listed and I would mention it to the management for that very reason.
I would ask to speak to the management - mention the butts outside, ask what your options are to move apartments and explore your other options. When you view the new apartment locations, ask for a few days before giving your answer -- because then you can 'hang out' around the new locale and scope it out.
Short term, I would advise you to keep your windows closed -- no reason to rely more on your inhalers than you need to right now. Have you checked where your air intake is for your air/heat system? It could be that once smoke gets into your apartment, it just recirculates. There are filters (air filters) that you can put into the air intake that will filter out cigarette smoke -- I think you need a MERV 11 or MERV13 to get the tobacco smoke filtered out because of the particle size. You could also run another air purifier in your apartment in the meantime... I agree, not a long term solution but you need to fix your immediate environment as you work out a long term solution...
Good luck. Hope the management is compatible and listens. Just focus on what you want (smoke free, clean air living) -- they cannot necessarily fix people's behaviors in the breezeways...but they might be able to find you an apartment where you can open your windows...
second hand smoke is just as deadly as first hand smoke where are you from okyville?
Duh! The surgeon general whom started this rumor, when ask to prove it, was never able to.
And if I'm not wrong, smoke does travel up and not down or horizontal, so if they are smoking outside then the smoke should be going up! now I do feel sorry for the people living above a smoker since their smoke/smell do travel up but when we are talking about being outside.....give me a break!!
Our apartment complex and a non-smoking policy which is a-ok with me, you just have to smoke in their smoking area around the complex. They don't tolerate smoking on the balcony or even in the apartment, I for one smoke in the garage so it doesn't bother effect anybody.
It's a give and take around smokers and non-smokers. just hate when you mentioned that you can smell the smoke outside, must be an enclose area or there are allot of smokers.
Ask your manager about creating a smoking policy, most complex are now doing so and it's ok with me since I don't like the smell either.
Cigarettes kill. Am I against it? Heck yeah. Do I care if the man smokes? No. But it comes right into my windows. Am I against the smokers that live in our building, no. But, I was making a point because even if I moved to another unit, I would likely have the same problem since most people here smoke. Unfortunately, also many of them are slobs and could care less about anyone and throw the butts all over.
I have a true problem being heightened by my neighbor. There is zero reason for you to be nasty about it.
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