Smoking ban urged for Peel condos and apartments

[dt_toronto_geek]

I think health officials and the non-smoking lobby are finally taking this too far. I applauded the end of smoking in restaurants & bars, theatres/cinemas, bingo/gambling halls, cars with children in them etc. I'm a smoker who has been so determined and tried so hard to quit several times yet failed and now there's a possibility of a province wide ban on smoking in our condo or apartment? I actually smoke on my balcony year 'round, I haven't had a cigarette in my home since the mid-90's nor have any of my friends who smoke. Will I be banned from smoking on my balcony too? What about smoking pot, perfume (which drops me and many other people into a migraine) and incense (another migraine trigger)? Now I wouldn't have so much of a problem if current residents were "grandfathered" or if new condos and apartments who elected to be smoke free were established.

If cigarette smoke is moving from one unit to another than I think the onus should be on the Condo Corp. or property owner to investigate why this is happening and address the problem. If there are cracks in walls, holes around plumbing pipes, duct-work, electrical outlets etc. than they should be sealed. This would also help prevent mold spores from moving into people's suites, reduce or eliminate rodents and bugs (especially bed bugs which is becoming a huge problem) from migrating to nearby suites and stop cooking odors from waffling from one unit to another.

Just my 2 cents.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/new...king-ban-urged-for-peel-condos-and-apartments

 

[wonderboy416]

This type of thing should be up to the property owner and condo corps to decide and existing tenants/condo owners should be grandfathered IMO.

The smoke is disgusting for a non-smoker to deal with though and there's nothing worse than a smoker who lights up near by a non-smoker with no regard for how they might feel about it.

 

[Whoaccio]

Bah, this anti-smoking crusade is becoming totalitarian. I remember seeing a Carrot Top show back in '98 where he joked about California banning people from smoking in their homes, never thought it would progress from second rate comedy to actual policy though. Is there any evidence at all that people were suffering from second hand smoke in condo buildings? I'm not aware of any. Much less that townhome residents are suffering from second hand smoke.

This has moved from evidence based health promotion to fanatical nanny stateism. I'm surprised they haven't mandated I use a seatbelt on my couch.

 

[doady]

Bah, this anti-smoking crusade is becoming totalitarian. I remember seeing a Carrot Top show back in '98 where he joked about California banning people from smoking in their homes, never thought it would progress from second rate comedy to actual policy though.

Banning smoking in single-family homes is quite a bit difference from banning smoking in apartment buildings. Obviously, apartment dwellers are much closer together, there is far more shared space. Even if you smoke on the balcony, the smoke could easily get into someone else's open window. If chain smokers in one unit opens there door, the smell of smoke could easily fill the hallway. I have experienced it. Hell, you can stand near a smoker even when they are not smoking and you can still smell it.

 

[Therion]

It should be left up to the building owner whether they allow smoking. It's their damn building.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I don't really care about this particular measure, but, years in, is there any one who wishes there was still cigarette smoke in bars & restaurants?

I was just thinking about it the other day. It's almost mind-blowing how great a thing that ban turned out to be.

 

[Whoaccio]

Banning smoking in single-family homes is quite a bit difference from banning smoking in apartment buildings. Obviously, apartment dwellers are much closer together, there is far more shared space. Even if you smoke on the balcony, the smoke could easily get into someone else's open window. If chain smokers in one unit opens there door, the smell of smoke could easily fill the hallway. I have experienced it. Hell, you can stand near a smoker even when they are not smoking and you can still smell it.

I'm pretty sure "I don't like how someone smells" isn't a real argument. I don't like the smell cooking with sesamen oil makes, doesn't mean it should be banned.

I haven't seen one report of any kind suggesting that this kind of second hand smoke is a threat to anybody's health.

 

[ACE]

I'm pretty sure "I don't like how someone smells" isn't a real argument. I don't like the smell cooking with sesamen oil makes, doesn't mean it should be banned.

I haven't seen one report of any kind suggesting that this kind of second hand smoke is a threat to anybody's health.

I believe it is more of a health issue to other residents than it is about a general unpleasantness of an odour or smell. The health risk links to tobacco based products have been established and only recently confirmed further by Imperial Tobacco's destruction of over 7 million pages of scientific evidence on the health effects of smoking.

If I can smell smoke in my residence then this means that the smoke is now inside of my lungs despite the fact that I do not have a cigarette in my mouth. This, I feel, would be a breach of my space and my rights.

In the case of smells from cooking; although I wish that my neighbour would not cook roadkill with a pound of garlic on a Friday night, the effects, as unpleasant as they are, do not pose a health risk to myself. I think this is were you have to draw the line: 'Is the issue a health risk to other residents'. If so, then it needs to be addressed.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I'd support regulations that required condos to have working and updated ventilation systems to make sure smoke doesn't travel between units. The governments should focus their efforts there, and not with some silly law like the one proposed, which seems really difficult to enforce.

 

[Whoaccio]

If I can smell smoke in my residence then this means that the smoke is now inside of my lungs despite the fact that I do not have a cigarette in my mouth. This, I feel, would be a breach of my space and my rights.

No, it does not mean that. The residual "smell" produced by cigarettes is in no way the same thing as first or second hand cigarette smoke.

This proposed ban isn't being based on any kind of science whatsoever. There is no evidence, even anecdotal, of smoking in multi-unit residential structures leading to any observable decline in health of anyone but those immediately effected. It's not like the Surgeon General or any researcher noticed a long term correlation here or anything like that. This is based on nothing at all but a stigma against smokers masquerading as public health.

 

[ACE]

No, it does not mean that. The residual "smell" produced by cigarettes is in no way the same thing as first or second hand cigarette smoke.

Then what is it that I am smelling?

 

[Whoaccio]

You know those commercials about how cigarette's have over a thousand ingredients and such? Cigarette smoke actually has over 4000 unique chemicals. The "smell" is caused by a small group of pungent chemicals which typically travel further and are more persistent than more cancer causing chemicals (carbon monoxide is odorless, for example)

 

[ACE]

You know those commercials about how cigarette's have over a thousand ingredients and such? Cigarette smoke actually has over 4000 unique chemicals. The "smell" is caused by a small group of pungent chemicals which typically travel further and are more persistent than more cancer causing chemicals (carbon monoxide is odorless, for example)

But I don't want a 'small group of pungent chemicals' in my lungs. Hence, it is a breach of my space and my rights.

 

[Whoaccio]

Well then you would have to ban people producing anything that can smell.

EDIT: The underlying issue remains that we don't recognize not liking a given smell as a reason to infringe on someone's rights. You can ride the subway without showering, it's not illegal. As a rule we only do it when there are legitimate public health concerns at work. There is no proof as of yet that this ban is being proposed in response to any observable public health issue, or even well developed theoretical work.

 

[khris]

There is residual smell from a previous tenant who smoked. However, cleaning and a paintjob will fix that all up!
There is no need for such a ban, and if attempted, I think will fail in our current climate.