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tightening the screws...

ngetal

barley acolyte
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
266
came across this news article:

Peel officials want legislation changed
October 19, 2009
Madeleine White
Torstar News Service


Peel's top public health officials are lobbying to ban smoking from apartments and condos in an effort to limit second-hand smoke inhalation.

If their push is successful, apartment dwellers would not be able to smoke in their own homes.

The region's council is going to examine a report co-authored by Commissioner of Health Services Janette Smith, and Dr. David Mowat, Peel's medical officer of health.

Their report says that Peel Public Health has received complaints from apartment tenants about smoke seeping into their homes.

"Tobacco smoke can seep from various openings in a multi-unit dwelling, including electrical outlets, plumbing, ductwork, ceiling light fixtures, cracks in wall, floors or doors and through common areas, such as hallways," wrote Smith and Mowat in the report. "Some units may share ventilation or heating systems, which can further spread the smoke throughout a building."

Their findings prompted an investigation into whether the city has the authority to ban smoking inside apartments.

Under the Municipal Act of 2001, Peel can invoke a bylaw preventing tenants from smoking, but Smith and Mowat suggest the best route would be to persuade Queen's Park to enact a province-wide ban.

The province's current ban on smoking applies only to enclosed public spaces, as well as elevators and hallways in apartment buildings. But it does not stop people from smoking in their homes.

"I don't actually think that we need to be asking the province because I think it's already happening," said Pippa Beck, a policy analyst for the Non-Smokers' Rights Association. "We have market forces on our side, landlords are recognizing the financial benefits, which are not insignificant, and there is more and more demand for smoke-free living."

Beck noted several municipalities in Ontario, including Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton, are taking steps to ban smoking in residences.

This month, councillors in Kitchener-Waterloo decided, starting in April, new tenants in apartments owned by Waterloo Region would not be allowed to smoke at home.

The region had been receiving an average of five calls a month from tenants complaining about second-hand smoke seeping into their dwellings from other units and open windows. Those calls represented about 20 per cent of all tobacco-related complaints received by the region, according to a regional report.

In Peel, individual landlords of apartments are also choosing to make their buildings smoke-free.

In July 2006, a smoke-free 53-unit housing complex opened on Cummer Ave. in North York. In 2008, the owner said one tenant had left because of the policy.

Peel's council votes Thursday on whether to approach the province about the recommendations.

Peel is one of the 'suburb' communities not far from Toronto ON
 
Red pill, or blue, which is it going to be?

Now you can't smoke at home either, I can't believe that governments are wasting their time with smoking bans considering the numerous other, MORE PRESSING, issues that we are currently presented with, like I don't know...


UNEMPLOYMENT
 
It's one thing if individual landlords decide to go that route for financial reasons. I don't really have a problem with that as I'll take my money elsewhere. It's the laws/regulations that force things like this that really get to me.

I'd like to see the results of an honest scientific study, though. "smelling" smoke is one thing, but prove the side effects as compared to everything else in the apartment/hvac/etc.

-John
 
What gets me is it's there's little the law can do if I have to listen the couple above me duke it out once a week if neither wants to press charges, I can be forced to smell animal feces and urine wafting from an apartment door, I can have to step in shit in the back yard of the apartment from people's dogs, etc etc but smoking has to be banned...wtf?

Add: But then Peel's become a bit of a shit hole anyway. With all the run down apartments and people living there that smoke it'd be easier just to designate Brampton Smoking and Mississauga non-smoking.
 
The region had been receiving an average of five calls a month from tenants complaining about second-hand smoke seeping into their dwellings from other units and open windows. Those calls represented about 20 per cent of all tobacco-related complaints received by the region, according to a regional report.

So potentially I can't smoke in my own home because the smoke might seep into your open window. What if I were standing outside and the breeze happened to carry the smoke through the same open window?

I won't say I agree with the in home smoking ban of multi-family dwellings, but shouldn't some of the onus be on the landlord to ensure the suites are properly sealed from one another? Also with renting/leasing I can understand the landlord being able to say "No smoking where I own the place", but condominium is a type of ownership where I own my unit up to the end of the surveyed unit boundaries and own a share of the remaining common space. No smoking in common element I can understand... but in the dwelling I own title to?
 
The region had been receiving an average of five calls a month from tenants complaining about second-hand smoke seeping into their dwellings from other units and open windows. Those calls represented about 20 per cent of all tobacco-related complaints received by the region, according to a regional report.

So potentially I can't smoke in my own home because the smoke might seep into your open window. What if I were standing outside and the breeze happened to carry the smoke through the same open window?

I won't say I agree with the in home smoking ban of multi-family dwellings, but shouldn't some of the onus be on the landlord to ensure the suites are properly sealed from one another? Also with renting/leasing I can understand the landlord being able to say "No smoking where I own the place", but condominium is a type of ownership where I own my unit up to the end of the surveyed unit boundaries and own a share of the remaining common space. No smoking in common element I can understand... but in the dwelling I own title to?

If I'm not mistaken, there was a lawsuit about that exact scenario here in the States. I'm not feeling my Google-fu this morning so I can't provide any links, but I seem to remember that being posted or discussed here awhile back.

And John, you make a great point. There is so much fear and hysteria in these kinds of actions that I sometimes wonder about the scientific validity of them. Let the individual decide, it has primarily gotten us this far.
 
Until they start riding their bikes to work (no exhaust), I don't think they should be able to force these kind of things on people.
 
It's one thing if individual landlords decide to go that route for financial reasons. I don't really have a problem with that as I'll take my money elsewhere. It's the laws/regulations that force things like this that really get to me.

I'd like to see the results of an honest scientific study, though. "smelling" smoke is one thing, but prove the side effects as compared to everything else in the apartment/hvac/etc.

-John


X2....It all about choices. I won't inflict my choices on others but in the same breath they can't inflict theirs on me.
Tom
 
An apartment where you don't own the place is one thing but if you think you can come to my condo and say I can't smoke inside or on the patio you are gonna get a big FU from me. These anti-smoking people are so over the top they won't stop till we're all living in bubbles so nothing can hurt us....
 
It's one thing if individual landlords decide to go that route for financial reasons. I don't really have a problem with that as I'll take my money elsewhere. It's the laws/regulations that force things like this that really get to me.

I'd like to see the results of an honest scientific study, though. "smelling" smoke is one thing, but prove the side effects as compared to everything else in the apartment/hvac/etc.

-John


X2....It all about choices. I won't inflict my choices on others but in the same breath they can't inflict theirs on me.
Tom

x3 Its like people don't believe in the free market economy anymore.

People have a choice of where to live, shop and eat (ain't freedom great?) so don't live, shop or eat where people are allowed to smoke if you don't want to smell smoke. If the owner loses enough business because smoking is allowed... they're going to prohibit smoking.

The problem is that non-smokers and people who can't stand smoke aren't as big a group as they think they are.
 
I read something a while ago about 3rd hand smoke and the dangers it poses. All this time i was walking around not even knowing how in danger my life was from 3rd hand smoke.

We have these campaigns and "pro" this and "anti" that groups. People make decisions about these causes without ever reading or learning anything about them, much less thinking about it sometimes. This type of thing is the result of that, don't bother thinking for yourself or standing up for anything, just follow the heard! It reminds me of how you can't call Christmas, Christmas, because it might offend somebody.
 
And remember, don't give any money to the several hundred lung associations out there; they fund this type of bullshit. :angry:
 
This is crap. More and more I see our country taking a turn for the worse. Almost like that movie V for Vendetta.
 
I'm not sure which is worse - this, or telling members of veterans' clubs that they have to go outside because they're not allowed to smoke inside ???
 
If it is built to IBC (International Building Code), ETS will not leak, except for through and (open; key term) door or window.

Govern the buildings, not peoples' freedoms.
 
This nanny state (Or province in this case:) ) I live in gets worse and worse every day. Now you can't look at tobacco before you buy it OR smoke it in your condo. They might as well make it illegal at this point. Oh wait....they love the tax revenue.
 
This nanny state (Or province in this case:) ) I live in gets worse and worse every day. Now you can't look at tobacco before you buy it OR smoke it in your condo. They might as well make it illegal at this point. Oh wait....they love the tax revenue.

I know what you're talking about. Because putting tobacco and its related products behind little sliding doors or shutters in a convenience store or gas station will really prevent someone from buying it. A few years ago I noticed the good B&M here got all the windows frosted up to about 7' off the ground. They used to have great little displays of cigar boxes, humidors etc. and now all they have is the company name.
 
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