Smoking & Smoking Bans

[Serenity]

"Smoking in the Apartment"(???)-PLEASE HELP

We have a neighbor that lives 2 doors from us, & they smoke, & we have asthmatic attacks now & then, but it hasn't flared up in a long time, although we are also very much allergic to cigarrette smoke which can cause our asthma to flare up &/or develop an asthmatic attack again!!.

My hubby says that he did talk to the land lady, & there is no law that states that they can't smoke .

The location of their window is within the same sides as ours, so therefore, when they do smoke, the smell goes into &/or passes to our window, & I just can't handle the smell, & I don't want to have to call for the emergency van to have to come to pick me up to bring to the hospital due the fact that I am having trouble breathing!!.

I also don't want us to move from our apartment because this apartment is the cheapest among all the others. We have lived here the longest more so than those ladies who just moved in recently, too.

There must be some sort of loop hole where I can use against it without having us to be forced to move out, & we can also take action against it!!.

*(Oh I don't remember if I had said anything in regards to the same problems or not before, if I have, I really don't remember, sorry)*

I also wonder if I find Suzanne Chun Oakland, & (in the interrnet & her email) tell her in regards to my situation, do you think that she will take my situation into consideration??

Any other information &/or help any of you can give me to help our situation any?? or shall we jsut give up on the idea, & just suffer??

My hubby also asked the land lady if she can take into consideraion about changing her rules to a NO SMOKING in her building once those people's lease is up (When ever that is!!. ). I think My hubby said that she would change her rules & regulation once their lease is up.

SIGH!!. that could be a looong wait or a short wait (depending). She didn't go into details when their lease will be up.

PLEASE HELP !!. in any information that can help our way.

Thank you & much Aloha to you.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: New smoking ban

The location of their window is within the same sides as ours, so therefore, when they do smoke, the smell goes into &/or passes to our window

You've spoken with the landlady --- but you didn't say if you've spoken with the neighbor. Perhaps if they were made aware of your situation, they might do a "good-neighborly" thing and close their window when they smoke.

It's always best to give them a chance to cooperate with you first, before resorting to legal tactics or other means of pressure.

Can you get a small fan that you could point OUT your window, so that when you smell smoke wafting in, you can blow it out before it gets into your place very much? Are there other things that come in the window that bother you, such as smoke from grills? A fan might help with that as well.

[Serenity]

Re: New smoking ban

Is there such a thing as a window fan that would actually fit onto my living room window?? & where may I get this window fan???

Actually there was a similar situation with another neighbor who lived next door/next building to us which he also smoked, & my hubby talked to him about it, but evidently he couldn't careless about our health whats so ever!!. .

ThankGoodness He found another place & decided to move out!!.

Hale Luya!!.

Some people just don't care (or don't give a sh!t) about other people's health when it comes to their own discusting habit!!. (meaning : around our building, ofcourse.)

I guess that's why my hubby resulted in talking to the landlady first to see if we could get a better results first as oppose to us talking to our neighbor.

I am still wishing that there is a certain loop hole I can get to or use in order to stop them from smoking.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: New smoking ban

Actually there was a similar situation with another neighbor who lived next door/next building to us which he also smoked, & my hubby talked to him about it, but evidently he couldn't careless about our health whats so ever!!. . --- I guess that's why my hubby resulted in talking to the landlady first to see if we could get a better results first as oppose to us talking to our neighbor.

So...you guys haven't approached the newer neighbor, because a different neighbor was a jerk?

True, some folks don't give a rat's rump about whether their activities bother you or not - but some folks are willing to work with you to resolve a situation - though may be less likely to do so if you don't even give them a chance first.

Can't help you with the fan, though. Measure your window, then check hardware stores. If you want to mount it in the window, there may well be exhaust fans that would suit your needs. Without knowing the height of your window, it might be as simple as putting a box fan on a table, in front of the window.

[Serenity]

Re: New smoking ban

So...you guys haven't approached the newer neighbor, because a different neighbor was a jerk?

True, some folks don't give a rat's rump about whether their activities bother you or not - but some folks are willing to work with you to resolve a situation - though may be less likely to do so if you don't even give them a chance first.

Can't help you with the fan, though. Measure your window, then check hardware stores. If you want to mount it in the window, there may well be exhaust fans that would suit your needs. Without knowing the height of your window, it might be as simple as putting a box fan on a table, in front of the window.

I will have my hubby talk to them to see if there will be any improvements about the situation.

If that doesn't work, I promise not to get mad at you about it.

I will also see what we can do in regards to a certain window fan.

Thanks again.

Much Aloha to you & your family.

Have an awesome weekend.

[AlohaKine]

Re: New smoking ban

I am still wishing that there is a certain loop hole I can get to or use in order to stop them from smoking.

Serenity, I can understand your situation and how it really bothers you. It offends your personal space. However making your neighbor have to stand on the sidewalk in his PJ's on a dark street in the middle of the night also offends his space.

Calmly explaining the situation to the other party and discussing a fix is clearly the best option. Things like either of you shutting their window or some type of cost or labor arrangement for an "engineering controls" fix. I think most folks would be receptive if a fair and reasonible solution was put on the table. A simple fix is far better then a lawsuit or a person having to give up their home.

I live in a highrise and when I first moved in my AC unit had no drip pan or piping so I put a aluminum cooking tray under it which sometimes overflowed and drained on to lanai's below causing offense. I spoke with management and they came and got me a proper tray from storage since the previous owner had taken it with him and fixed the pipes. Now everybody's happy.

The Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii's solution would have been to cut the electrical cord to the AC's for everybody in the building with an AC unit including those that caused no offense and threaten to force people out of their homes if they fixed it, leaving people sweating like dogs until they were climatized to their new "social norm". The last thing they would want is a win-win situation.

Same thing with the bars. About 10-15% still allow smoking such as at one sports bar near where I live. Most people are cool with it because that bar wants and needs it and the customers love the smoke. If anybody that went there had issues with it, there's another comperible sports bar accross the street that doesn't allow smoking. Why can't this type of win-win just be legal?

[douglas]

Re: New smoking ban

With respect to AlohaKine’s link, to Mr. Crowley’s Gathering Place letter in the Sept. 18th. Star-Bulletin, AlohaKine conveniently neglect to share with this group two subsequent letters that appear two days latter, shooting holes in Mr. Crowley’s bucolic statements.

The letters follow:

From Thursday’s Star-bulletin’s letters section.

Nonsmoking rules now common in Japan, too. David Crowley imagines "millions of angry Japanese smokers" (Gathering Place, Sept. 18). But things have changed since Crowley grew up there. Recognizing the burden upon others, smokers in Japan are accepting countless new restrictions in public and private places. In recent travels from Okinawa to Hokkaido, I've seen extraordinary cooperation and no evident anger.

Crowley misses other points. Our new law directly affects all Japanese visitors, including delighted nonsmoking families with children and elderly, just as it is celebrated by the vast majority of Hawaii residents.
There is no evidence of "millions in lost revenue." Japanese tourism began falling off several years ago. What's more, my studies indicate Japanese arrivals began improving last fall.

While the "Smoking with Aloha" slogan may have been poorly selected, Hawaii Tourism Japan's aim was right on. For example, misimpressions surely arose when Sports Nippon headlined Hawaii becoming "completely nonsmoking" and reported, "You won't even be able to smoke on the beach." In the meanwhile, I hope Star-Bulletin readers will not fall into misimpressions created by Crowley's unfounded reports.

Mark Levin
Associate professor
William S. Richardson School of Law
University of Hawaii-Manoa

And in Friday’s (yesterdays) letter section,

People don't go places so they can smoke.
David Crowley's "Gathering Place" column Tuesday was way off the mark when it comes to the new smoke-free legislation in Hawaii. Having now lived in a completely smoke-free world here in New Zealand for more than two years, we see the benefits on a daily basis.

There were concerns raised during the development of the legislation here over tourism and the impacts on the Asian market. In reality, post legislation, there has been no impact.

A simple testing question was put to the media, politicians and the public at the time -- do smoking tourists come here to smoke or to enjoy our beautiful country?

Having spent the best part of 11 hours flying time from Japan to New Zealand, a smoker has clearly decided that is for the country, not the cigarettes! Why would going to Hawaii be any different?
Shane Kawenata Bradbrook
Director
Maori Smokefree Coalition
Wellington, New Zealand

As Bill O’Reilly would say, let keep things “fair and balanced.”

Doug

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Slight thread drift -- sorry!

unless you have some kind of all-inclusive flat rate contract with them. If you have a Resident Manager

Yup. Nope.

[Serenity]

Re: New smoking ban

Serenity, I can understand your situation and how it really bothers you. It offends your personal space. However making your neighbor have to stand on the sidewalk in his PJ's on a dark street in the middle of the night also offends his space.

You know...

now that I think about it more, why can't they try to atleast quit, when there is countless of people out there in the world are already dying, & one of them is from cancer .

Why can't they just shutt their window closed, seeing as they love the smell/odor of it any way, why can't they just close their damn window?!?!.

I don't think I will be the one, I realy like my FRESH AIR!!.

[1stwahine]

Re: New smoking ban

Serenity, K-den. Foa some people take time foa regista juss like wen trying to explain something to a person. But the person no can grasp the idea...the person stuck or lil bit confused. It's the same with a person addicted with SMOKING.

I know wat it is to be at the mercy of smoking cigarettes.

I believe it is a person's right to smoke.

You or nobody else can or should tell a smoker when to stop.

It is a Smoker's choice.

Auntie Lynn
22 days and counting!

[LikaNui]

Re: New smoking ban

And in Friday’s (yesterdays) letter section, (...)

"People don't go places so they can smoke."
Shane Kawenata Bradbrook
Director, Maori Smokefree Coalition
Wellington, New Zealand

To Mister Bradbrook, I say a very heartfelt "Bullfeathers." I (and most of the many smokers whom I know) absolutely DO specifically choose places where we can smoke, or at the very least we go to places where it's very convenient to grab a quick smoke.
He should keep his opinions in New Zealand.

[scrivener]

Re: New smoking ban

If he's talking about choosing vacation destinations based on the smoking laws, he's probably closer to correct than incorrect, but if not, then I totally agree with Lika, certain liberal vacation destinations in Europe notwithstanding.

I don't smoke, except for what used to be the occasional (once or twice a year) cigar, and I absolutely decided where to go based on whether or not I'd be allowed to smoke. Certain pool halls where I used to have a cigar and a few racks on my birthday haven't seen me or my buddies since the new law.

[tutusue]

Re: New smoking ban

You know what, Serenity? I agree with Auntie. Smoking is an addiction. One must want to stop and even then it's not easy. I've never smoked and am violently allergic to cigarette smoke. Still, ciggies are legal. I would never expect anyone to quit to satisfy my needs. That'd be a bit narcissistic.

As others have suggested, try to make it a win-win situation between you and your neighbor. Explain your health challenges and ask them for ideas on how to help you solve the problem. Don't demand; rather, request their help. They may offer a better solution that you hadn't thought of. Bottom line is...you won't know 'til you try.

BTW...smoking killed my dad.

[Serenity]

Re: New smoking ban

You know what, Serenity? I agree with Auntie. Smoking is an addiction. One must want to stop and even then it's not easy. I've never smoked and am violently allergic to cigarette smoke. Still, ciggies are legal. I would never expect anyone to quit to satisfy my needs. That'd be a bit narcissistic.

As others have suggested, try to make it a win-win situation between you and your neighbor. Explain your health challenges and ask them for ideas on how to help you solve the problem. Don't demand; rather, request their help. They may offer a better solution that you hadn't thought of. Bottom line is...you won't know 'til you try.

Thank you for your reply back.

BTW...smoking killed my dad.

BTW...

Smoking also killed my grandparents & my hubby's mom, too.

Although, my hubby's dad did smoked (for a long time),
but he quit cold turkey!!. Since he can quit cold turkey, I'm sure anyone can do it aswell.

[tutusue]

Re: New smoking ban

[...]Although, my hubby's dad did smoked (for a long time),
but he quit cold turkey!!. Since he can quit cold turkey, I'm sure anyone can do it aswell.

My dad quit cold turkey, too...after it was too late. The possibility of death was a strong incentive. But, just because your hubby's dad and my dad were able to quit cold turkey doesn't mean, in the least, that "anyone can do it as well". Smoking is an addiction. Everyone will react differently to withdrawal. The majority have a tough time. Nicotine is a drug, afterall.