Smoking foes bring the fight to apartment buildings

[The Straight Story]

Smoking foes bring the fight to apartment buildings

By Sanjay Bhatt

Seattle Times staff reporter

A year after a statewide smoking ban took effect at workplaces, restaurants, bars and other public places, a new battlefield over secondhand smoke is emerging: apartment buildings.

Spurred on by nonsmoking tenants and public-health leaders, more private landlords are considering restricting smoking inside their rental units. And local public-housing agencies are also looking at banning smoking in the units of some buildings.

Since the ban took effect, people have gotten used to going out in the community and not being exposed to secondhand smoke, and that's prompted some to ask, "Why do I have to take it in my home?" says Roger Valdez, manager of the tobacco-prevention program for Public Health — Seattle & King County, which enforces the smoking ban here.

"We've been surprised by the increased level of interest to make their apartments smoke-free," he said.

A year ago last month, the voter-approved Initiative 901 took effect. It prohibits smoking in work settings and public places — from offices to bowling alleys — and within 25 feet of their front doors, or a "reasonable" distance, to keep smoke from wafting indoors.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003526616_smoking16m.html

[mongo]

1. How can the make these rules after the fact?

If they allowed a smoking tenant to move into the building, they shouldn't be allowed to ban smoking.

[On the Road]

2. They Can Change it if the Lease is Changed

Many apartment building require tenants to sign a new lease every year, and all kinds of things can be slipped into the new document. If not, the apartment may try to force the issue but legally may have to wait until the tenant moves out.

I would suspect there are a wide variety of attitudes among landlords. A heavy smoker can leave a place reeking for the next tenant, but it also chases away potential tenants.

[hogwyld]

3. I see a business opportunity here

We can rent mobile homes to smokers in specially designated zones. Encase the whole park in a bubble...

[Hekate]

4. I once lived in an apartment with walls so thin that I knew when my neighbor lit up

No kidding. I shared the airspace with my neighbors.

My now-grown daughter, who unfortunately is a well-addicted smoker, parses her smoking territories out pretty well. She doesn't smoke inside her rented house. She doesn't smoke in her car if her toddler is in it with her, but does if he is not. She certainly goes outdoors if she wants to light up when she visits me or any other nonsmoker.

I understand how landlords can restrict tenants if they want to -- the damage cigarette and cigar smoke does to everything is pretty bad, and you cannot get rid of the reek without repainting, recarpeting and getting new drapes. I've even checked out library books that smell strongly.

But I don't know about the increasing restrictions on a legal habit, I really don't.

What I would very much like to see is a shut-down on all advertising for cigarettes, which would enormously reduce the incidence of what the tobacco industry calls "replacement smokers".

Hekate