The apartment building where I’m living in Covington, Kentucky is going non-smoking beginning July 1st and, of course, the smokers are up in arms about it. I try really hard not to get into arguments where I live, but here are some of the words I’ve been hearing.
HEARD: “They can’t tell me what to do!” REALITY: Of course ‘they’ can. You’re a tenant in ‘their’ building.
HEARD: “This is just like Nazi Germany!” REALITY: I’ve never been to Nazi Germany, but I don’t think it was like this. I think it was probably much worse.
HEARD (Actually told to me): “You smoke too!” REALITY: Not anymore. For the past six months, I’ve vaped on an e-cigarette which is actually a vaporizer. It doesn’t involve tobacco or smoke or second-hand smoke and it doesn’t have any odor to it at all.
HEARD (Actually told to me): “I ain’t smoking one of those damn things!” RESPONSE: Then don’t.
HEARD (Actually told to me): “So you’re against us!” RESPONSE: No, I’m not, but I can’t do anything about this new policy.
HEARD: “Fuck ‘em!!” REALITY: Enjoy your new apartment search.
Yesterday afternoon, a tenant here in the building knocked on my door wanting me to sign a petition to allow smoking to continue here in the building. Now, I’ve talked to the people who manage where I live in and I know they’re not going to change their mind, so signing a petition wouldn’t do any good and I didn’t. I think this pissed off the person with the chipboard in his hand but so be it.
Back in my smoking days, I was pretty anal about ashtrays—would never throw out cigarette butts until I was sure all those butts were out, but I suspect most of the people who live in my building aren’t that way and I think making it a non-smoking building will make it safer for those of us who don’t smoke. Safer is better
. . . and if you’re thinking I’m glad I switched from tobacco to vapor, you’re damn right. My intent is to stay out of this fight.
(Image from animationsa2z.com)
Larry Gross Online 
I’m so glad that you gave up on tobacco and those e-cigs sound safer to me too.
How will management track this? Will there be “smoking” police or cameras?
You will be seeing this approach more and more in the coming years. Careless smokers put everybody at risk in more ways than one, but I’m sure the man reason why the owner of your building is doing this is because he wants his insurance rates to go down. A good of a reason as any to stop the smoking.
Educate some of your neighbors on the e-cigarettes. This has worked for you so maybe it can work for them!
Pretty soon, some form of government will be telling me I cannot even smoke in my own house. They can stay out of my business. I WILL be smoking.
Not around me, Copus. I don’t want your second hand smoke.
Smoking: one of the few bad habits I haven’t picked up. Yet.
There will come a time, and I hope that it is in my lifetime, when nobody will be smoking tobacco cigarettes. It is a health hazard to ALL OF US. Believe me, if Larry Gross and switch to an electronic vaping device, other smokers can too. Just do it and get healthier.
The trick for smokers is going to be finding a landlord that also smokes. That’s going to get harder and harder as more of us quit.
Even no-smoking in the apartments? I’m not a libertarian, and I don’t smoke, but that sounds like a stretch, legally.
On the other hand, I wish that they would ban smoking in my building. I get copious cigarette smoke from other apartments through the exhausts. I’ve sealed as much of the apartment as I can, but the smoke gets through.
Especially that mix of cigarette smoke and perfume that so many of the older women think will mask their smoke. Of course, it just makes a new horrible smell that’s twice as bad as the smoke. You know what smell I’m talking about. 😦
liberainlovinit, i know at old woman smell of smoke and cheap perfume. ewwww.