CourtneyHowl's Profile

This is a tough one. Yes, you do have a right to smoke cigarettes outside. However, you should know (and it sounds like you now do) that it is both a health hazard and an incredible nuisance to your non-smoking neighbors. I live in a townhome where my bedroom windows are directly above the sidewalk, and my back patio touches my neighbors. I am a non-smoker, and my neighbor is a smoker. She and her son both smoke cigarettes throughout the day on the back patio, as well as out front. Yes, it is her right to smoke cigarettes, but it impacts MY every day life because I either have to close all of my windows in the nice weather or deal with the constant smell of cigarette smoke in my house. For me, this is a very frustrating situation that I am unsure of how to deal with it. I think the best thing you can do is to be conscious of it, and how it might affect your neighbors. Someone suggested a smokeless ashtray - using that might help. Good luck!