UK COUPLE FACE SMOKING PROBE IN OWN HOME

Drudge ^ | 1/9/07 | Drudge

[GeorgiaDawg32]

Mon Jan 08 2007 18:41:00 ET

An English couple are facing a council investigation into their smoking habits at home, it was reported Tuesday.

Jeanette Gordon-Crawley, 54, and her husband Gavin, 51, from Caernarfon, north Wales, have been told by their local council that their next-door neighbour has complained that she can smell cigarette smoke from their house in her living room.

Moira Duell, an environmental health officer with Gwynedd County Council, sent them a letter headed: "Alleged Odour Nuisance", the Sun said.

In the letter she said: "Your neighbour alleges that cigarette smoke is permeating into her living room from your property.

"To enable further investigation into the matter I would like to visit your property to discuss the matter further."

Developing...

[GeorgiaDawg32]

I did a title search and didn't see this posted. If it's a duplicate, I apologize..

[Brilliant]

Sounds like Orwell's "1984."

[FReepaholic]

...UK COUPLE FACE SMOKING PROBE...

Umm...where do they plan on putting that smoking probe??

[Calpernia]

ping

[camle]

now just how can the neighbors prove that cigarette smoke is in their living room?

[WildBill2275]

"Sounds like Orwell's "1984.""

Either that or Mike Bloomberg's NYNY 2005-2006

[Gabz]

Nanny State Ping...........

[workerbee]

"To enable further investigation into the matter I would like to visit your property to discuss the matter further."

So if they reply, "no thanks", does the creepily-titled Environmental Health Office have legal authority to force the issue?

[workerbee]

Office = Officer

[Stark_GOP]

The question is not what they are allowed to do in their own home.
The question is whether their actions are entering someone else's home.

This should be handled as a simple nuisance complaint. (i.e. loud music)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"...their next-door neighbour has complained that she can smell cigarette smoke from their house in her living room."

That "neighbour" has too much time on their hands.

What does said "neighbour" do on Sauerkraut & Sausage night? (Or worse...later that night?) LOL!

How about said "neighbour" stop by my place when I'm processing horseradish? How about a tour of the chicken coop?

Said "neighbor" needs to get a life. Well, all the 'Smoke Gnatzis' do, actually. ;)

[Rutles4Ever]

I don't think this is outrageous. If I started doing lab experiments with sulfur in my kitchen and the stench of rotten eggs wafted into my neighbor's home, should he just shut up and take it?

If this was about the health nazis, that would be a different story. My quality of life would go down considerably if my house stank of cigarette smoke.

[stuartcr]

Are the homes seperate buildings?

[Gabz]

Definitely too much time on her hands..........

[svcw]

As long as tobacco is legal, the neighbor needs to shut the hell up. If cigarettes are that bad-ban them.

[Chickensoup]

Sounds like Orwell's "1984."

If you live off government dole in government housing, expect the government to rule your life.

Council homes are government owned housing.

[HawaiianGecko]

_hg

now just how can the neighbors prove that cigarette smoke is in their living room?

Tests for tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide in the air are relatively simple, but I think they are simply trying to be a pain in the neck.  However, if the two homes share a furnace or even a cold air return duct, I can see it being a problem. Cigarette smoke really does bother many people, and they can recognize it instantly.  I can tell if somebody lights a smoke within 20 feet of me in a restaurant, but frankly I don't care. The minute particles of grease permeating the air in a restaurant are probably doing my lungs more damage.

I'm not in favor of smoking bans at all, but I wouldn't put up with cigarette smoke in my home.  The landlord should have to provide for a smoke free place to live if this is an apartment.  If it's the next door neighbor and they both live in "single family detached" homes, then I'd tell this person to stuff it.

[Rutles4Ever]

Can I come over and dump my ash tray into your pancake batter? YUM!

[gas0linealley]

Onslow:

"OH...NOYCE!"

[camle]

my points are as follows:

how can they prove a smell? maybe with tests, as you said, point conceded.

but then they have to prove that that particular smoke came from that particular source - maybe someone else is smoking in the area. Can they test for DNA in the smoke?