Santa Monica Proposes to Ban Smoking in Apartment Rentals: Do You Agree With the City's Proposal?

by mrosen814 Posted 2012/07/25 22:00:00

Related Topics: smoking, Health, Santa Monica

1,132 votes
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	Yes	411 votes	36%
	No	721 votes	64%

The city of Santa Monica recently proposed to ban smoking for new apartment and condo renters. Under the proposed ordinance, both new and existing multi-unit buildings would be subject to the ban.

Smokers already renting could continue to light up in their apartments, but the units would be covered by the ban as soon as they became vacant. According to the Los Angeles Times article, "Tenants who break the rules could be fined up to $500 if a landlord or a neighbor takes them to small claims court."

LATIMES.COM reports:
The Santa Monica City Council is scheduled to vote on a plan to bar new renters from smoking inside their apartments and condos. The council should demonstrate restraint and vote no.

plan bar renters smoking apartments condos council demonstrate restraint vote

+32

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dalevic 2012/07/27 14:53:04

No

+8
I am a non smoker and even I am sick of the government sticking their noses where they don't belong. They had no right banning smoking in private businesses and they have no right banning smoking in private property. If We the people do not stand up to these politicians at some point, and that would be NOW they will just keep STOMPING all over our rights. Today it may be smokers tomorrow it will be you "yes people"!!!
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More polls by mrosen814

claymation to bt sedlock 2012/11/10 04:33:55

There are some things that aren't permissible even in a democracy. Which is a REALLY GOOD thing. Let's just add the dirty, inconsiderate, addictive, heart disease, lung cancer giving cigarette smoking habit to the list.

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bt sedlock to claymation 2012/11/11 22:04:22

No. Let's not put that on the list. If people want to smoke ciggarettes and damage their lungs and hearts then fine. But banning is not the way. We tried with the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s, we called it Prohibition and it didn't work.

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Cynthia Wolf 2012/07/29 21:53:16

Yes

+2
Yes, it browns the walls and goes through ventilation systems affecting neighbors and lowering any home's value :'(

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Michael 2012/07/29 18:48:05

No

+1
restrictions on private property are so prevalent in Santa Monica, which only decreases the likelihood that people will invest there and then WHO WILL PAY THE PROPERTY TAXES to support the homeless.

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Bee 2012/07/29 15:58:49

Yes

+2
It's a rental - you don't own it. The nicotine stains walls and the smoke damages carpets and the carpets hold that scent no matter how many times you have it professionally cleaned.

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nmgene to Bee 2012/07/30 21:17:19

You just dont know how to clean an apartment or house.

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claymation to nmgene 2012/11/10 04:37:26
darryl black 2012/07/29 14:39:50

No

+1
That is an outrage, we hear about second hand smoke but what about the other pollutants which they consider not threatening? As long as we have pollution we will never be able to say that cigarettes is the cause for all the cancers which infect our population in the world. Smog didn't just come from cigarette smoke nor did the eroding of this planet.....

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adamlad 2012/07/29 11:20:34

No

+1
i pay my rent its my place where i choose to smoke is my business no one elses

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claymation to adamlad 2012/11/10 04:42:35

Suggestion: make a tent out of plastic bags and get in there when you smoke. Seal it tightly shut before, during and after you're done. Now non-smokers don't have to smell your dirty stink habit. If that's too much, just tie a plastic bag over your head and wait. Just wait right there for awhile.
Good. Now nobody has to deal with your stink habit again.

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marty 2012/07/29 06:59:42

No

+1
I don't smoke, but getting denied things in your own home is just plain wrong.

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Jackie to marty 2012/07/30 18:30:37

The sad thing is that apartments aren't your "own" home. If they were, this wouldn't be a proposed ban. I think if you want to smoke, go get your own place.

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nmgene to Jackie 2012/07/30 21:18:59

When you pay rent the place is yours. Your landlord cant even come in with out prior notice and your OK.

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Debra to Jackie 2012/08/17 12:07:54

If you want to get drunk, go get your own place also!

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Kris 2012/07/29 06:30:30

No

Seriously?? That's WAY too fascist. You should be able to do what you want in your own home. Overkill! Give me a break!

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claymation to Kris 2012/11/10 04:43:54

Child abuse in your own home count too? Is it too fascist for government to get involved?

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☆stillthe12c☆ 2012/07/29 02:36:47 (edited)

No

+1
It is a dumb idea. This should be a decision that is left of to the person who is renting out the apartment not big brother. As it should be at bars and such. When you go to a hotel they have smoking and non smoking rooms. The government should never be able to make our choices for us. Like wearing seatbelts. Now I always wear my seatbelt, but it should not be the law. Government continues to stick is nose where it does not belong and people just roll over and take it like a bunch of sheep. Bah Bah.

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claymation to ☆stillt... 2012/11/10 04:49:56
☆stillt... to claymation 2012/11/10 05:06:51

Making such laws are beyond the scope of government. We should be able to make those decision on our own. I myself was buckling up long before it was the law and I made sure that my family buckled up as well. I also wore my helmet when riding my motorcycle, but not to the corner store or on the open highway.

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claymation to ☆stillt... 2012/11/10 06:40:17

+1
...yes, and if government is BY the people and FOR the people like it SHOULD be, then making better choices is commendable.

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☆stillt... to claymation 2012/11/10 06:46:42

+1
Yes it is.

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claymation to ☆stillt... 2012/11/10 06:54:07

+1
You the man!

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☆stillt... to claymation 2012/11/10 06:59:25

+1
Thank You. I hope that you have a great day. I am about to get off here. Take care.

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Joseph Mallery 2012/07/29 00:41:16

Yes

+5
Cigarette smoke can create a helluva lot of bad scent, and if someone tries to rent out the smoker's apartment after he moved out, he too would be forced to live in the smokers' odor.

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Jackie to Joseph ... 2012/07/30 18:38:44

I agree with that. I bought a house back in the sixties that had been owned by smokers previously. The black juice had rolled down the walls during hot, humid weather while it was vacant. The cleanup was really pretty disgusting, to say the least. I wouldn't have purchased it if it hadn't been a steal. Steal or no steal, I'd never do it again! I had my own built after that one.

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James Hogue 2012/07/29 00:05:41

No

DAD-DANGED COMMIES!!!!!!

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James H... to James H... 2012/07/29 00:07:00

+2
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS COUNTRY NORTH KOREA, DANG SOVIET UNION?!!!!!!!!

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Muskoka to James H... 2012/07/29 00:55:31

+2
Go find you medication.

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Muskoka to James H... 2012/07/29 00:55:05

+1
Why is it that every time American do not like decisions, they cry communism?

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Dallas Newton 2012/07/29 00:00:12

No

No.

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Tin Man 2012/07/28 20:29:17

No

+1
Perhaps require a "smokers deposit" for the extra painting and cleaning needed after smoke staining. But otherwise it's an infringement on a legal right. It'd be more honest of the governments to outlaw smoking and it's production period. Won't happen. Bet those parking lots will be full of smokers, hmm. Or they wouldn't consider the loss of all those tenants the law would incur.

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««zamboni»»Hellsoldier-BN0 2012/07/28 17:59:55

No

+1
Oh come on. You're kidding me, right?

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MS PRUD 2012/07/28 17:51:55

No

+2
The only way they should be able to ban smoking in my apartment is if they pay my rent.

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Swampdog 2012/07/28 15:12:05

No

+2
More liberty lost!

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bob h. 2012/07/28 15:02:16

Yes

LA Cty has been a police state for so long, what's one more thing.

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Bunny 2012/07/28 13:14:35

No

Its getting redicules and I have never smoked If they are going that far then ban the damn cigarettes !

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bt sedlock to Bunny 2012/08/04 20:58:39

And that might cause the crime like we had in the 1920s with the bootlegging.

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kraftymomma1979 2012/07/28 11:18:22

No

+2
Enough is enough! People need to be free to make their own choices. Why doesn't Santa Monica ban farting in apartments while they're at it? No cooking of stinky foods, no drinking of alcoholic beverages, and so on. Our court systems are already clogged up enough. As a former landlord, I can tell you that tenants can do a lot worse than smoke in their apartments than smoke a cigarette.

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Windy 2012/07/28 09:19:34

No

+4
No government at any level should be violating the Constitutionally guaranteed right of individuals to do whatever the hell they want on their own property (as long as one is not violating someone else's rights in what they are doing), even if that property is only being rented it is still private. I guess, to make myself more clear I should rephrase that to say "in their own personal space, whether that space be owned or rented".

This extends to businesses, too, owners of businesses should be free to decide whether or not they want their business to be "smoke free" or not and let customers decide whether they want to patronize a business that allows smoking on their premises. It's called individual freedom and property rights, people, and government has no right to take those rights from anyone who is not violating the rights of others.

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Muskoka to Windy 2012/07/29 00:57:23

+1
What about the rights of others on their own property who do not want smoke in it?????

Smoke drifts and does not stay in one place it moves with the air in apartment building and invades the space of others.

Every one has the right of clean air in their own home.

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