The town of Oxnard, California has voted to prohibit smoking in senior public housing complexes in the downtown area. The measure passed unanimously at a city council meeting on March 25th. Oxnard’s new legislation makes it the third town in California to restrict smoking in multifamily apartment rentals.
Calabasas and Belmont had both previously passed local ordinances in response to a growing numbers of complaints from renters who were affected by secondhand smoke.
These towns have taken bold stands on the issue of smoking in apartments. As we related in an earlier post on smoke free apartments, the issue can be quite contentious. Local ordinances generally draw the ire of civil liberty groups over the protection of an individual’s right to privacy.
The matter has been quite difficult to resolve in the multifamily industry; unless the apartment is delegated by its owners as smoke free, the issue often is left to be hashed out between neighbors.
At least in once instance, a neighborly dispute about smoking has led to a negligence lawsuit. Galila Huff, of New York City was sued for endangering the health of her neighbors and their 4 year old son.
The lawsuit was settled out of court after Aerus, a manufacturer of home cleaning products, offered to install air filters and purifiers in both apartments.
If not for the intervention of the company, however, it is difficult to predict how this matter would have played out in court. How can a balance be struck between the right to privacy, especially in one’s home and his or her effect on their community?
Is this issue best left to be settled amongst neighbors or should local municipalities start getting involved?
oddly enough this issue recently came up in my building. we all own. one of the neighbors proposed making the building, common areas and private dwellings smoke free. she also proposed we limit smoking to within 20 ft of the building. as a non smoker, my first reaction was that was a great idea. however, on second thought i realized i don’t want anyone telling me what to do in my own house. no neighbor and no government. it’s my house, my private place to do what i want when i want. i think smokers deserve the same right.
Prohibition of smoking can enhance in the process recovery to the addicted persons. It does not only affects the individual smoking but also those around him or her.
……………………………
Carol Smith
http://www.addictionrecovery.net/california
Addiction Recovery California
wow!that was a good idea in the first place,it helps to reduce the number of smokers.i was once one of them now i am at a recovery center.
carol smith
Addiction Recovery California
open windows in a PRIVATE setting releases toxic fumes from the smoker into the public arena. when the area is narrow between units in a horseshoe / circular architecture, this could be a fatal for sensitive / elderly / babies / children etc. \In an oakwood apt bldg, a tenant- lawyer won a judgment for the damage to his daughter from second hand smoke! landlords and tenants…be prepared.. be aware
I’m having a difficult time living next door to a chain smoker. I psy a much larger percentage of rent, however, we cannot open our door when she smokes, but she has the freedom to open her door and pollute the air whenever she feels like opening up. She dictates to me whether I’m ableto breathe frest air. Her smoking has caused my husband and I to have respiratory issues. Smoking is not natural and I’m tired of people worried about the rights of smokers. It’s natural to breathe fresh air, but not natural to pollute the air.
I am a lung cancer survivor and it is essential to my future survival that I do not breathe second-hand smoke. I have to close my windows and not use my patio because of my downstairs neighbors even though I am not the person who is creating an unhealthful environment. Research studies have shown that the carcinogens breathed when exposed to second-hand smoke are as dangerous as if you stood behind your car and breathed the exhaust fumes. Smokers may have the right to kill themselves by continuing to smoke, but they do not have the right to kill me and my family…or small children, etc.
I’m responding to Shane’s comments about not having anyone telling him/her what to do. Whether you are aware of it or not, that’s not the issue. Health and dying are the issues. Smokers are telling me what to do when they light up, so I guess in your view smokers should have the right to tell me what to do? When my health/life is affected then I’m not concerned about someone telling me what to do. It’s about choice and when a smoker decides to light up, I have no choice other than to breath second hand smoke which is more dangerous than if I were smoking that cigarett myself. People are always concerned about smokers’ rights well smokers aren’t concerned about non-smokers rights. I think you need to think about this before you continue defending smokers’ rights.
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Great article. I find that there are a limited quantity of truly nice restaurants in Oxnard. It appears that evidently lots of eating places additionally just don’t make it as well. I don’t know whether it is due to the economic system or what, however for a long time now I’ve seen many restaurants come and go. It is nice to see that there are more high quality eating places opening though. There is a new restaurant by 24 hour fitness that looks like they are really top notch and have awesome food. Considered one of our favorites is Pirates Bar and Grill, a good ole American restaurant that has great american food.
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