Inconsiderate, intimidating neighbors cause depression and anxiety?

I get it l live in a senior apartment complex and my neighbors are mostly great. Yesterday something happened that was upsetting to almost everyone here. Several of us were sitting around discussing it. While it was great to visit with my neighbors. There were two of them that just lit one cigarette after another. I kept backing away from them, but l still inhaled some secondhand smoke. Usually, it causes an asthma exacerbation, but yesterday l was fortunate and didn't get sick. I just wish people around me would be more considerate and tone down their smoking and around me.

jana13, I would have thought that most people gave up on smoking when getting into their senior years, they always say smokers are die hards. I was a smoker for many years but I quit and felt like a rock star but alas, payback is harsh and years later it came back to haunt me. Today I’m a typical ex smoker and I have little tolerance for it, there’s enough risk in life not to mention the air pollution we live with.

Very coincidental that you mentioned this. My main issue is the threatening behavior on my mental health. This morning because it was cold out there were two guys smoking weed within feet of the building entrance. There were no threats this time but I definitely got a breath of the smoke. I could feel it irritating my nose and throat These people have been told not to smoke weed in or on the property but are still doing it. As I noted previously these people are from a particular social subgroup, the hallmarks are brazen inconsideration and 24/7 brazen illegal drug use and sales. This is something most Americans are not used to. You can't just tell them to "Please stop". They need to be forced. I hate where I live now.

These same people think it’s ok to smoke weed while driving. I smell it every day. If someone lights a cigarette near me I leave. I also won’t be friends with a smoker.!

I wish it were true about seniors. It seems like they think they are Invincible and they have earned the right to smoke as much as they want when and where they want and the rest of us are crazy troublemakers. I pass by their apartments and hear them coughing and wonder if they think it’s worth their health.

I live in an ALF and smoking is not permitted in the facility. I have not had a cigarette in over a decade. I am a retired nurse and you would be surprised how many folks still smoke. I used to work for a pulmonologist, and I smoked at the time. Dr. Pascual, MD used to show me x-rays of his patients - and said, "If I didn't quit smoking that is what my lungs were going to look like." I took him at his words, and I feel much better.

I feel my mental health is very threatened by this inconsideration towards your neighbours, my health is fragile and smoke is deadly for me, I can walk down my street and smell cigarette smoke and also cannabis in the air from the passing cars. I have fought so hard these past five years to stay healthy but it just wears me down, waking up in the middle of the night and my bedroom smells like an astray..it truly makes me feel doomed at times not to mention my anxiety and depression are at an all time high…I just keep praying for better days to help me cope.

Did you look into the legal angle? Here is the US remedies exist for second hand smoke and noxious odors under legal theories of "nuisance" and "trespass". Like I said previously I believe Canada probably has similar remedies. You should not have to live in your apartment with the smoke and odor from someone else!

I’ve done a little research but the situation looks pretty dismal, it’s a very lengthy process for a landlord to make his building smoke free and can be tied up in litigation lasting literally years. The truth be known most of them don’t want to implement a smoke free place because they are afraid to lose tenants and of course money, everything always comes down to money including the cost of legal services. I think there are vast differences between Canada and the USA, they feel that there’s places available that are smoke free but the cost to move and the higher rents are insurmountable for people living on a fixed income. I always thought it was uniquely an apartment building issue but I’ve read stories about people living in a house that share space with others and are going through the same thing. I have also heard from condo owners that their neighbours are smoking around them and these are high end homes, you can look for smoke free homes but housing here is very scarce with more newcomers also trying to find homes. Another problem is that due to the high rents many people here are moving into 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with 4 to 5 families to keep the cost down.

I believe landlords in Canada are required to make sure your apartment is smoke and odor free. This can be done in a number of ways. Then, there may be actions against those who are smoking. For example, a neighbor who smokes may have to pay you for you having to endure the nuisance and health hazards they created. You need to look into attorneys who handle this type of issue.