Neighbour and intense smoking

Hi everyone, I have had asthma since I was four years old way back in 1955... I'm 65 in December.

My wife and I bought a nice new flat in 2010 so that we can retire.

Sad to say we have the neighbour from hell move in on the ground floor... we are on the second floor.

The neighbour must smoke about 40 a day a he has a terrible cough accompanied by retching, harking and coughing up phlegm many times a day.

He stands on a very small balcony outside his rented/benefits apartment and the smoking comes into our well insulated apartment my eyes are often red and stinging + the usual sensitivity problems with my lungs. I feel short of breath more often these days. What can I do?? Is this legal? I have been in touch with the Plymouth City Council anti social behaviour department who can't help me. I have now gone to public protection with PCC who I did receive an "odour diary" from PCC sent it back = no reply :/

OK those are my complaints the man also has a wife and baby... Their apartment must be damaging the babies lungs ... mustn't it? I did peep in the window when they were out and there was an overflowing ashtray in the living room so the baby must be inhaling smoke??

To cap all this the female is three months+ pregnant and the smoke will most certainly affect the unborn baby

I'm at my wits end here....

Any suggestions or advice?

Thank you

david

[Hidden]

How awful for you David. There are 2 separate issues here and you must watch they don't overlap.

You are quite entitled to ask the man not to smoke just there and explain why. However he then might smoke more inside which would make things worse for his family.

The second issue is possible abuse of thë children, and all you can do is report him to social services, though it's not illegal to smoke in your own home.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I did ask him to stop retching outside once and was told "... I have friends harder than you" an odd response to which I couldn't help say "I have friends more intelligent than you"... Almost funny.

I reported him to the police for the veiled threat and have a CR number for the incident

D

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I am going to report him to the NSPCC ? for suspected child abuse. Personally I would say his habit is child abuse

[shirl13]

I feel for you Dave, I've been asthmatic since 1967 (aged 14). We moved here 26 years ago and my asthma has got progressively worse, been on oral steroids constantly for last 25 years. We too have a next door neighbour who smokes, and so do most of her family, but not allowed inside only outside which means I have to close my windows and doors even in height of summer, but what can I do? It's her home. I do feel sorry for you and your neighbours baby, hopefully seeing as they are tenants when wife has next baby midwives may say something, plus hopefully depending on size of flat they may be moved. Fingers crossed for both you and babies

[healthwish in reply to shirl13]

I was concerned that i hav been put on a 10mg daily dose of steriods but reading ur post u hav taken steriods for 25 yesrs. Did u suffer any side effects orvostoprosis

[shirl13 in reply to healthwish]

Unfortunately yes. I have osteoporosis, diabetes, muscle wastage, thinning of the skin and stomach problems, but there again I would have been 6ft under if I hadn't taken them

[healthwish in reply to shirl13]

Sorry to hear that. I guess if we need them to breathe we dont hav any choice and thank u for yr reply.

[squady in reply to shirl13]

you could always move what right do you have peeping when they were out sounds like they popped your bubble by moving in may your god go with you

[SheilaC]

No suggestions I am afraid - just sympathy. We also have a neighbour who smokes heavily. He comes out of his back door to smoke and this is very close to our back door and if our door is open the smoke comes into our house.

I can't sit in the garden reading without having problems as I start to cough as soon as he lights up. He is a lovely man in his eighties and I don't really feel I can ask him not to smoke in his own garden.

[Karjade]

We had neighbours from hell and the only thing we could do was move. I loved the house but I was putting my mental and physical health first and I don't regret it. I tried speaking to them but got nowhere and you probably won't either. Maybe he does not realise his smoke is troubling you and it may help if you spoke to him politely without antagonising the situation any further. Good luck!

[angievere]

Really feel for you. I worked with a chain smoker in the early 1980s before smoking in workplace was stopped. It was awful.

[Hidden]

why mention you brought your flat and the couple from hell are receiving benefits that has nothing to do with their smokng habits.