Backyard wood pellet smoker?

Almost any kind of smoke seems to set off my asthma. A bonfire, or the more common fire pit, which burns wood, emits a lot of particulate matter. I immediately start coughing and cannot stop until I am clear of the smoke/particulate matter. They also emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds). We have a gas grill (I realize that's not a smoker) and I am not bothered by it. As long as your husband mans the smoker and it's away from your place, you might not be bothered. If you'd like to be sitting outside while it's smoking every once in a while, and there's a breeze to waft away the smoke you'd probably be ok. Hopefully, someone who uses a smoker will provide advice/experience.

@pled What kind of smoker?
We use a Traeger wood pellet smoker/grill outdoors - just try to keep it positioned so the away smoke blows away from our house and patio. Sometimes, as while smoking racks of ribs, it may need to run for 4 or more hours.

A smoker intended to smoke whole turkeys, pork butts, hams, bacon, game or fish, that needs to run for 12-24 or more hours, and is large enough to need to be permanently positioned, is another matter. It is harder to keep the smoke away from the house as the wind shifts. Also, some cities limit the use of these to avoid increasing air pollution and annoying neighbors. My husband's family used to have a smoker, but it was on the edge of town, on acreage adjacent to the woods. I wouldn't consider one on my suburban 1/3 acre plot.

Another issue is the type of wood - I am sensitive to mesquite, pecan and a few others, but oak and apple are okay. Finally, we never use ours when we are under an air quality warning - a more frequent issue these days.