posted on November 21, 2001 09:04:53 AM new
"The Montgomery County Council yesterday approved one of the most restrictive anti-smoking measures in the nation, setting stiff fines for people who smoke in their homes if it offends their neighbors.
Under the county's new indoor air quality standards, tobacco smoke would be treated in the same manner as other potentially harmful pollutants, such as asbestos, radon, molds or pesticides. If the smoke wafts into a neighbor's home -- whether through a door, a vent or an open window -- that neighbor could complain to the county's Department of Environmental Protection."
posted on November 21, 2001 10:45:12 AM new
Helen, you don't happen to live in the "nuclear-free zone", do you? If so, being part of Montgomery County must be a mixed blessing.
posted on November 21, 2001 11:20:50 AM new
Helen, my husband retired from Virginia's equivalent of Mongomery County. What a shock it was for him when he went back to work for one of the small cities where they practically do business on a handshake.
posted on November 21, 2001 11:38:32 AM new
What do they do about farm fumes? Go ballistic?
To regulate something legal done in the privacy of one's home is just asinine! Tell 'em I said they're jerks! Mountgomery Co., Pa. You have the right to an informed opinion -Harlan Ellison
posted on November 21, 2001 11:49:33 AM new
That must be an incredible adjustment to move away from the suburbs of DC. Are you missing all 25 pages of community resources?
County taxes here are now 60% of our state taxes and real estate taxes are also unbelievable.
To live in this *nuclear zone* where any drug known to man can be purchased in any school costs big bucks.
And as soon as my mother in law dies, I'm out of here.
posted on November 21, 2001 12:02:02 PM new
Helen, I'm living in the county Lorena Bobbitt made famous - I'm just far away enough from everything to be inconvenienced, but close enough to the art galleries downtown.
posted on November 21, 2001 12:15:45 PM new
That's perfect, saabsister. I don't want to move to the woods but this area is becoming more undesirable every day.
posted on November 21, 2001 12:24:38 PM new
Helen, the traffic will probably drive us away from the DC area. I'm on a dirt road but the paved road that I exit onto is being widened to four lanes. I've thought about moving to Arlington or Falls Church but the traffic is even worse. Until September 11, I considered the DC waterfront near Arena Stage.
posted on November 21, 2001 12:36:15 PM new
When my kids were younger, I used to take them to Arena Stage a lot. That's a great area on the waterfront! But, I'm not sure about the safety of the neighborhood now.
I think that it's a real dilemma trying to decide about location. Like you, I either want to be smack dab in the middle of the city or further away...maybe we need two houses.
posted on November 21, 2001 12:55:12 PM new
Helen, two houses is a good idea - one for each spouse.
I'm in charge of appetizers tomorrow. My family knows better than to expect me to cook. I'll be back later. I have to experiment with melting cheese - hope I don't burn anything and offend the neighbor's sense of smell.
posted on November 21, 2001 01:11:10 PM new
I wondered if that measure was actually going to be approved. I had heard about it on the news. I'm thinking that it might possibly be challenged at the federal level. The only other city I can think of that sounds like Montgomery County, is Davis, California. They are also a "nuclear free zone", and I believe it is now illegal to smoke OUTSIDE in the city proper. A couple of years ago, they arrested and prosecuted a guy for violating the noise ordinance. He was snoring! Too loud I guess.
posted on November 21, 2001 08:02:49 PM new
I think that the policy is nuts. I can understand the prohibitions in public places, but not private residences. Apartments and condos might present some special considerations and the requirement for venting with those is reasonable enough, but the policy, as it is explained in the article, is far too encompassing. I doubt that it could withstand a legal challenge.
posted on November 22, 2001 02:07:53 PM new
The ordinance doen't prohibit you from smoking in your house. The ordinance prohibits your smoke from entering other people's homes.
But the enforcement could be a problem in other ways. How can you know exactly where the tobacco smoke came from ? I also wonder what type of problem caused them to pass this ordinance.
If someone where harboring dogs and the smell invaded the ajoining properties, most people wouldn't find it odd that an ordinance prohibited the dog smell. Why should burning tobacco be different ? How much would one have to smoke before the neighbors could smell it ? How about marijuana or grilling out ? I've read that the chemicals produced from grilling are full of carcinogens.
I think this ordinance is more of a political statement than something that will be enforced.
posted on November 22, 2001 05:39:52 PM new
REAMOND
That's right! It's a political statement and a power trip gone beserk. There has been a long standing fight between restaurant-bar owners and the county council for a few years. After smoking was finally banned in these establishments, the non smoking contingent could not quit while they were ahead. Now they are the laughing stock of the state of Maryland.
There may be complaints in apartment buildings but cigarette smoke traveling from house to house is ludicrous.
Bon fires were banned years ago.
The non smoking group is not interested in barbecue grill smoke. That's a different kind of carcinogen. What a bunch of fools.
posted on November 28, 2001 06:05:41 AM new
Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan vetoed the legislation that would have regulated smoking in the privacy of people's homes after Council Member Howard Denis, who had originally supported the bill withdrew his support, support needed for a veto-proof majority.
But since then, Denis said, the legislation generated widespread ridicule. Conservative commentator -- and Montgomery County resident -- George Will compared the council to the Taliban on ABC's nationally televised show "This Week." Journalists deluged the council with requests for interviews, and the Moscow Times even weighed in with a column. "I got put in the same bag as the Taliban," Denis said. "The public has spoken. The reputation of the county is literally at stake here."
posted on November 28, 2001 08:22:41 AM new
How embarrassing for the county council! We had to stop our subscription to the local county newspaper because their coverage of the county council's antics was making my husbands blood pressure go up.
If I share this news with him, he may have a stroke.
I just found this story in a newspaper link that krs provided for another story. Can you believe that our little county is featured on the front page of the Moscow Times?
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2001/11/26/007.html
