Ismael from California asks:
I work at an outlet in California. We attract many tourists and I have noticed that many of our French tourists smoke a lot. This makes me wonder because here in America (at least in California where I live), it is socially unacceptable to smoke in public. In fact, many people would give a negative verbal reaction to someone who lit a cigarette next to them. I have to say that I don’t appreciate smoking as the smell is rather unpleasant and secondhand smoke is deadly. I wouldn’t react this way normally. I would just walk away or politely ask someone to stop because I have respiratory problems (but that isn’t the case for most people.)
Why do a lot of French people still smoke? Here, children are trained to run from cigarettes. Cigarettes get a lot of bad propaganda here. Here, we are constantly reminded that smoking causes cancer, damages the environment, and kills people. Is there not as much propaganda against it? Do most French people just disregard these warnings? Is cancer less prevalent in France because of the different lifestyles it leads? Is smoking a social (one that makes you look cool) activity in France?
Ha! Smoking…
We all know that the French love spending time in café terraces, reading Sartre, eating, drinking and… smoking… Right? Right?
Mmmm… Actually, the “smokers” vs “non-smokers” debate has been raging in France for many years, both sides being pretty much irreconcilable! Friendships have ended because of a cigarette! Marriages too… Well, in that case, we can suspect that the cigarette was used as proof of cheating or something like that.
And despite the appearances, the non-smoking side is slowly but surely winning the war.
First of all, you live in California, and I don’t know if you go out-of-state much, but last time I was in the US (I know, it’s been a few years now), on the East Coast, while there were fewer smokers than in France, smoking habits were not as different from the ones that can be seen in France (and they’re both very different from the ones in California from what I’ve heard), with one major exception though, American smokers respect their non-smoking counterparts.
So sure, compared to California, France must look like smoking heaven or smoking hell, depending on what side you’re on.
Why is that?
Let’s start with some cold hard facts, also named “numbers” and “statistics”. French people don’t actually smoke as much as one may think (remember, the “loud minority” effect, you will notice the few smokers more than the many non-smokers).
Let’s look at the approximate percentages of smokers in a few countries in 2009 (sources WHO)
- France: 32%
- USA: 23% (and as it’s most likely lower in California, that means it has to be higher in other parts of the country)
- China 31.5% (but more than 60% of men for only 3% of women! In almost every country, men smoke more than women, but this one may be the biggest difference)
- Austria: 43%
- Germany: 32%
- Greece: 51%
- Russia: 48% (70% for men!)
- United Kingdom: 35%
According to the numbers I have, the country where men smoke the most is Russia and the country where men smoke the least is Ethiopia (only 7% smoke).
The country where women smoke the most is Nauru (52%), and then Austria (40%). The countries where women smoke the least are Algeria and Morocco, 0.3% (yes it’s true that North African women don’t smoke at all for some reason, it’s really a men thing in their culture).
Another interesting statistic is the number of cigarettes smoked in one year.
France is ranked 58th with 854 cigarettes per person a year, and the US is ranked… 51st! With 1028 cigarettes. (You can check the whole rankings there)
Still, a lot of French people still smoke, why is that?
Well, I’m not totally sure, except because “old habits die hard”.
The thing is that cigarettes have been getting bad publicity in France for a while now. Since 2007, it has been illegal to smoke in any public building. There were other less restrictive (but still restrictive) laws before that. Advertising for cigarettes has been outlawed in 1991. France has known and publicized the fact that cigarettes cause cancer way before the US ever did (it was a time when France was not run by lobbies yet, while the US already were).
And yet, a lot of French people still smoke.
Well, fewer people smoke every year (I’m sure that when I was a kid the number of smokers was closer to 50%), but the numbers are slow to drop.
Why is that?
I’m really not sure. I mean, a lot of teenagers start smoking because they think it’s cool, it makes them feel more important, more “adult”, but at the same time more rebellious against adults, and then when they’re adults, they’d like to quit, but it’s too late; they’re addicted.
There are also a bunch of people who don’t want to quit, despite the fact that they know the risks and the fact that cigarettes are getting really expensive. Apparently, this is the best deterrent that the government has found to reduce smoking: €5 packs, or even more, as there isn’t any smoker in my social circle – see, not so many people smoke in France – I haven’t kept track of the prices in a while.
So why do the people who don’t want to quit, don’t want to quit?
I’m sure the very French habit of doing the opposite of what they are told plays a big part here.
Also, France is not as health-obsessed as Americans (and especially Californians) can be, and the “you gotta die from something anyway” argument is not an uncommon one. And as French people are less likely to die from being gunned down, eating crappy processed GMOed food or lack of proper health-care than most Americans are (and bears too, French people are less likely to die from a bear attack than Americans are), they see smoking as a reasonable risk to take in the choices they make in their lives.
Apart from that, I’m not sure why smokers smoke, I always thought it was one of the stupidest things to do and one of the stupidest ways to throw your money through the window.
However, if there are any French smokers reading this, please feel free to give us your two cents in the comments.
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40 thoughts on “Smoking in France”
I’m not french (Scottish) but I live in France and have a French boyfriend and a large group of French and English friends (because i’m super popular). Very few of the English smoke, about 10% are ex smokers. Almost all of my french friends smoke, male and female – I have just moved off tobacco and roll ups and onto the new electronic cigarettes – one reason may be that it is almost impossible to stop smoking when everybody around you smokes, I know that if I tried to get by without my e-clop then I would, without doubt, be back on the roll ups in a heartbeat. Most of my smoker friends are more than aware of the health risks but it is not something that is discussed, it’s ignored. In short, trying to give up smoking when you are on the terrace with your cafe and sat with a smoking friend is extremely difficult so many don’t even try. I like that people are more laid back about smoking, if you are at a table and you light a cigarette after a meal when the table next to you is still eating, then it’s no problem (obviously this is outside) – in the UK there would be hell to pay if you did that, so I enjoy the tolerance – ultimately it’s nothing to do with anyone else if you smoke (minor and occasional secondary inhalation has not been proven to my knowledge). I think if I went to California, I would be inclined to smoke just to annoy people…
PS – a packet of cigarettes (before the 1st July price increase) was 6 euros 15 cents – it’s more now – a packet of tobacco was about 7 euros 25.
Thanks for your feedback.
What are those e-cigarettes things I’m starting to hear about coming from France ?
Apparently it’s a big thing right now.
I don’t think that people are more laid back when people light a cigarette next to a table that’s still eating. It’s probably because French people are used to smoking and non-smoking zones in restaurants (Loi Evin) and nowadays, outside has become the de facto smoking zone, so people that are there can’t really say anything about smokers without provoking a scandal among the people around who are smokers in majority.
(advice: don’t ever try to light a cigarette near me while I’m eating, regardless of where we are)
I find it rather amusing that you “enjoy the tolerance” of non smokers while eating putting up with your selfish nicotine addicted friends smoking while they eat. How about a bit of tolerance by the addicts by not smoking around others? It’s not usually called tolerance but politeness.
Cat,
Spoken like a true smoker. As a smoker, you really have no idea how offensive secondhand smoke is to non-smokers sitting near you, walking behind you, not to mention trying to enjoy a meal surrounded by you. YOU inhale the smoke directly into your lungs, your taste buds and sense of smell are compromised etc. Oh, and you smell like an ashtray. I grew up with both of my parents smoking in the home and car. It wasn’t until I my boyfriend’s mom asked me if I smoked did I realized that I also smelled like cigarettes just from being around them. We’ve lived in several countries in Europe since 1990, and we have had many experiences with non-smoking sections in restaurants and airplanes. The most memorable was in Paris, when the non-smoking table meant that simply they took the ashtray from the table we were seated at and all those around us were lighting up. For many years we very seldom went to restaurants because we didn’t want our children exposed, we hate the smell of cigarette smoke and we didn’t like having to take a shower and wash our clothes every time after we went out. Thank goodness we can now at least eat inside a restaurant without the smoke, but never do we dare eat outside. You have the choice to take the smoke into your body, those around you don’t have that choice when you light up. We were watching the fireworks in Paris last night and even something like that is made less enjoyable because we are always trying to get away from secondhand smoke… AND the person doesn’t have to be nearby… smoke drifts. We never comment to the people smoking, but perhaps we should. I think your attitude that “you’d be inclined to smoke just to annoy people” is rude and insensitive. I will never forget a restaurant we went to in êtretat (before the ban on indoor smoking), where smoking in the restaurant was forbidden because the chef wanted the best flavors of the food to be enjoyed to the fullest and customers couldn’t experience that if they were smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke. Bravo to this chef!! Cat, grow up and think of others besides yourself. The smoke from your cigarette is annoying to more people than just those possibly sitting next to you. AND secondhand smoke is harmful!
Yep! Well said Lisa.
Bravo 🙂
I’m American, have lived in France for 20 years. I notice that French people resist doing what they’re told to do, and they also like to do the same thing together, all at the same time. Fête de la Musique, these Journées de Whatever. That’s why manifs (demonstrations) are so popular! I think it would take a long time for a critical mass of people to form here who don’t smoke AND frown on other people who do. So I think the e-clopes are the way to go for the French. They can give up tobacco but still *look* like they’re smoking.
I went to France for the first time and was so excited about the idea of sitting outside having a glass of wine at a cafe. That hope was quickly dashed by the multitudes of cigarette-after-cigarette smokers who had no inkling that they are ruining other people’s dinners, wine, etcetera.
I hated walking the streets in Paris because smokers smoked cigarettes AS THEY WERE WALKING and therefore you could NEVER escape the smoke. It was awful. They were so clueless that they could possibly offend others with their smoking.
One night at dinner three women smoked and smoked right outside the closed window but the smoke blew in the restaurant. I got sick and had to go outside and try to find a place where I could breathe. Those girls ruined my first dinner in Paris. From then on, I made a point to sit as far from the front door as possible. I watched one man smoke five cigarettes in an hour at another restaurant–unbelievable.
Namaste , how are you ? i am from Nepal i love french people a lot because i am students of french organizations. and currently studying bachelors of travels and tourism in management and working in a travel company in Nepal I hope we have a good relations with a good co-operations too.
Er… Hi. 🙂
Attempts to curb smoking began in France in the early 1990s and progress is gradual. The next thing surely for France is to ban smoking at the outdoor terrasses of any Cafe or Restaurant (and have a stand-up table outside for smokers to congregate perhaps ….). The next step is to make smoking socially and culturally offensive as it is in much of the USA, Australia, NZ and other countries. Progress was slow in these countries too, back in the 1980s it was like France now. So it can happen. Currently cigarettes (for a 20 pack) are AU$17.50 in Australia, or well over Euro 10! Time to bang up the price so high that people really do give up, seems to generally be that way here (in Sydney) ….. Smoking has to be attacked from different ‘angles’ to achieve a serious reduction (price, laws/bans, making it an anti-social behaviour etc.)
Good points. However, the French are a stubborn kind that love to tell the opposite of what they’re told.
However, the price tag constantly raising is what works best I think.
To add a comment: Anecdotally, since my trip to Europe (France especially), I’ve noticed back here (Australia) how “rare” (socially unacceptable) smoking has become and why noone cares how high prices will get progressively for a packet of fags for a small minority of suckers. This situation has evolved gradually, Aussies are a bit prone to the opposite thing too. In France it may evolve differently, but the high price tag is certainly the biggest killer ….
I don’t believe that increases in price will do much. The bottom line is that many smokers enjoy smoking. I am a smoker. Yes there are addictive qualities but its fairly easy to quit. I quit for over a year. But even after that amount of time passed, I missed it. I missed having a cigarette with my coffee in the mornings, I missed having one with my occasional glass of wine, I missed the deep thought I would get while relaxing on my balcony and smoking….I’m not sure why. Perhaps it is sort of meditating. All I know is that even after not smoking for a very long time I felt as though I was denying myself one of the few things I enjoied in life. It began to frustrate me, so I picked it up again. My cigarettes are almost $10 a pack here…and $12 in MD, but I refuse to switch brands as these are the ones I enjoy. Luckily I have the finances to support my habit, but I know a good amount of people who cannot and still buy them. This is becomes a vicious cycle. They don’t have money…they get stressed…they buy cigarettes to relieve their anxiety…they don’t have money…repeat. High prices will not stop people who like to smoke…all it does is make them spend more money than they have to.
On a side note, I agree with not smoking around non-smokers. It is a personal choice and therefore should not affect others.
The price increase in Australia (and in New Zealand) is having an effect, the smoking section of the adult population is down to less than 15% or so. Put cigarettes up to US$15 or more and a few % will fall off too. An American friend of mine tells me that US tobacco companies are now exporting (dumping) all their product outside the country in many developing countries which are “better” markets for tobacco products than the USA …… they still want to make money! And don’t have that much conscience.
You don’t enjoy smoking any more than a heroin addict enjoys shooting up. You are simply addicted. As for it being easy to give up – you failed to give it up! After a year it caught you back again because you missed it so much. Smoking impacts profoundly the health of ALL addicts. It makes them smelly. Their breath smells. Their clothes smell. Their houses smell. Their hair smell. They negatively impact the health of their children.
With all these negatives – the only reason to do it – profound and a rather sad addiction.
I visited Paris in April and was sick by the time I left due to all the secondhand smoke. If you want a seat with a view, you’ve got to inhale smoke. Even some seats you think are inside, people still smoke. That’s right, a covered (enclosed) patio is ok for smoking. Crazy. I had to eat a nice meal with a lady sitting two inches from me smoking on an enclosed patio. How is this outside, really? Because a few windows are cracked? It’s bad enough that you inhale all the secondhand smoke on the street, but the restaurant smoke was crazy. This was my least favorite thing about Paris. And I loved Paris. Not sure I could live there because of the smoking though.
I think it’s the right of any individual to do what they want, as long as this does not impinge on someone else’s quality of life. I wish the governments globally would sink money into anti greed campaigns. Banks cause cancer! (From stress)
“I think it’s the right of any individual to do what they want, as long as this does not impinge on someone else’s quality of life.”
Totally agreed. Hence the necessity to ban smoking in public spaces.
I’m an ex-smoker. Moved to Lyon, France in December, and I’m appalled at the number of smokers here, both of tobacco and e-cigarettes. The secondhand smoke is ubiquitous, and I often come home with a raw throat. It’s definitely a massive down-side to living in what is otherwise a really great city.
When I quit, it was because I read about damage, not to my lungs, but to my *heart* from smoking. I had the attitude that, oh, many people in my family smoked, and no one got cancer, so I won’t either. I didn’t know that smoking is terrible for the heart, and the damage starts with the first cigarette. I wish this were more commonly understood/discussed, because I think it’s a more compelling reason to quit.
Just so you know the world health organization says the harm of second hand smoke is so small that there is no way to see if is actually harmful at all. People greatly exaggerated the risks of smoking the French smoke eat what they want don’t exercise and drink plenty of wine. They live 2.5 years longer than Americans.
Caleb, do you have those data from the WHO? I’d like to see them.
However, regardless of health issues, second-hand smoking is just gross. People don’t fart or burp in each other’s faces, second-hand smoking is along those lines for me.
Regarding the rest is a very simplistic way to put it.
First you’re making parallels with unrelated things (which always brings to biased reasoning and false conclusions).
Yes, the French eat what they want, because what we eat is food, not processed industrial crap that passes as food. Eating healthy is not about eating more or less carbs or proteins or vegetarian or whatever eating / diet trend that doesn’t work is fashionable at the moment. Eating well is eating food that is not laden with added sugars, palm oil, corn syrup and all that, instead eating real food that is as natural as possible. Also, quantities… Compare a basic French portion of anything with a basic American portion of anything…
Yes, the French don’t exercise but they do eat right for the most part, which makes the need to exercise not very relevant… and to add to that, French people don’t live in their car, they know what walking is, so yes, they do exercise, but they do it while commuting, while shopping, etc…
As far as wine is concerned, no the French don’t drink “plenty of wine” and in any case, wine is probably the healthiest of alcoholic drinks, and just like with everything else, the keyword here is “moderation”.
David
The French (82.4) o have longer life expectancy than the USA (79.3) but life expectancy of whole countries is complex. Most European countries are higher than the USA and Japan is highest of all – may be the healthcare?
Definitely the healthcare, it’s pretty well documented.
The US has one of the lowest – if not the lowest – life expectancy among the OECD countries. And it is definitely because of the healthcare or lack thereof.
Oh, I forgot: Life expectancy.
The French life expectancy is nothing special and nothing different from other developed and rich countries… It’s the US life’s expectancy that is lower (the lowest in OECD I believe, although I could be wrong), mostly because unhealthy lifestyles (crap food, over-reliance on cars), added to lack to social welfare and embarrassing healthcare among other things.
Caleb, on the contrary, the WHO is clear about secondhand smoke.
From the WHO: “…in the US secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths a year, compared to less than 100 lung cancer deaths per year from traditional forms of outdoor air pollution.” and
“every independent authoritative scientific body that has examined the evidence has concluded that passive smoking causes many diseases. Moreover, the evidence that passive smoking causes disease is not new. The first studies linking passive smoking with breathing problems in children and lung cancer in adults 20 years or more ago and the studies linking passive smoking and heart disease are over 10 years old.”
https://www.who.int/tobacco/research/secondhand_smoke/about/en/
Moreover, smoking is terrible for your heart. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/smo
I’m afraid the evidence actually really is there.
https://winefolly.com/update/french-paradox-diet/ the French drink 67 gallons per person every year. That is plenty of wine. Lol
The site you link (and that explains pretty well that eating healthy has nothing to do with fat and calories – there is no French paradox, there’s an American paradox – how is it that a nation of 300+ millions have no idea about what eating is all about?) mentions 16 gallons per year per person, we’re far from 67. (the numbers I have are closer to 12, but different studies will always give different results.
Anyways, 16 gallons a year means about a glass (a small standard wine glass) a day per person. That sounds about right to, even if that’s an average (honestly I don’t know many people who drink one glass, it’s either none or a couple of glasses, which would average to one indeed).
Also be careful with your sources, I’m not publishing the other comment, because your source is from a journal whose scientific credibility is dubious at best.
I am in Paris as I write this, as a non smoker who hates the smell of smoke. I have to say that Paris is turning into one of the worst vacations I have ever had. I went to Disneyland with the kids, people in line were smoking, when you have to wait about an hour in line with smokers all around you, gross. Also watching fireworks there are a bunch of smokers smoking in my kids faces. They have no respect for kids and non smokers. Cannot enjoy any terrasses because everyone smokes and blows it in your face, even eating inside doesn’t help if the restaurant keeps their door open or windows open. I will never revisit Paris until they make smoking rules more in line with canada and the USA. I am astounded how they smoke around their children as if it’s normal and not a health hazard. Smoking is disgusting, the French are killing themselves with every puff they take, nevermind all the butts that litter the streets everywhere, it’s a shame.
“I am in Paris”
a little bit later: “the French are…”
No, not “the French are”… You’re in Paris… “Parisians are…”
Hi David, this was helpful ! I have just had some French HelpXers stay (Helpxers : like Wwoofers – we give people free accomm and food etc in exchange for work) and found the amount of smoking that these Parisians did was mind boggling. It felt like every time I turned around, they were sitting down smoking (rather than gardening or whatever other job I had given them). However your post has helped me realise that a lot of my feelings of outrage was due to a cultural difference – it is true that in NZ it is unacceptable to smoke on the job and it is offensive to leave stinky cigarette butts at the entranceway of a host’s house and smokers are definitely in the minority and on the “back foot” – but from a Parisian’s perspective, they probably had NO IDEA that they were causing offense or that their behaviour could be seen as irritating, selfish and gross. So interesting !!
Glad I could help…
I have no idea what a Wwoofer is though. 😉
Oh ? Wwooff stands for working worldwide on organic farms. Works like HelpX where people exchange their labour for free food/accom and the chance to live like a local/with locals, and experience a local business or lifestyle based on the land/organic farming. HelpX is similar but people can help in small businesses like horseriding, hospitality, food businesses or help on farms – or it might be on “lifestyle” blocks or suburban homes in which case it might be mostly gardening or cleaning or help with renovations or livestock or small plantations etc. A wonderful thing, and very popular in NZ: there are some 4000 HelpX hosts and probably the same number of Wwoof hosts ! Not sure if something like this could work as well in Europe; after all NZ is a group of islands and all travellers here have visas etc and must arrive by airport (at least 98% of the time…) so it provides a degree of security for us NZers, as if something goes wrong, the police can easily track the person down. Plus NZers have the cultural traits of being friendly and welcoming, being connected to the land and of looking for innovative ways to solve problems, as well as well-travelled (considering how isolated NZ is) which is another reason why the idea of welcoming travellers from around the world into our homes to help us out is so popular. Anyway, enough on that, after all your post is supposed to be about French, not NZers ! Cheers ! Ingrid.
Dont we love the concept of the Parisian woman her rebellious nature, her attitude of not caring about what other people think of her and what she does? As Americans I think we forget that we are not in America, we don’t change the way we dress when we go to another country because we don’t have to. We don’t even bother to learn a few polite phrases because we expect of more demand they know English. The French smoke, we know that but it is their country, their culture and either you understand that or you don’t go there. To be angry about as a tourist is most likely offensive to them because you are a guest. They might find our walking with a calorie loaded, sugary coffee on the sidewalk as offensive as we find their smoking or the mass amounts of food we eat or the speed in which eat it. I think, as Americans we never actually emmerse ourselves in the experience. We go to these amazing, beautiful countries that are rich in history, art and culture but never actually feel it. We spend our time looking at it through a photo lens or running around trying to get to 6 museums in a day. When what should be doing is sitting at a cafe for hours reading a book, living like a Parisian hell smoke a cigarette with your glass of rose and dress like Parisian after all it is the polite thing to do. I want to find my joy of life, to learn how to enjoy a meal alone and to capture a little of that je ne sais quoi to learn how to celebrate the little moments in life, to be self possessed and embrace the face I have today (getting in my mid 40’s in America that is the end of beauty). So seriously lighten up and just enjoy the moment, you are in one of the most beautiful cities in the world indulge that’s my plan. I want to go for a month, rent a flat and just soak up Paris life.
That is so cool Carrie. Hope you get to do this !
Carrie, to be honest I struggle with your comparison of a sugary coffee on the sidewalk, its nonsense. Does that coffee admit second hand offensive odour? We hare currently in France and have been touring for almost 3 months, we constantly try to find restaurant tables away from smokers and usually fail. Yes its their country so we don`t say anything, However we often won`t linger at a cafe or restaurant because of smokers. Not everyone rushes around museums all day or taking photos, we are cycling for several months and love so much about the French, their country and their culture. Even being caught up in rail strikes and walking the streets of Bordeaux in summer with stinking piles of rotting garbage we understand but don`t like because it is the way they do it here. I sincerely hope that you find your “joy in life” in a Paris cafe, hopefully without the cigarette.
Carrie, I think that when you say tourists, or even expats living in Paris for work (like me are not able to be culturally adaptable if they are antagonistic about cig smoke. Its just plain wrong…and one-sided and one of the weakest arguments I’ve heard. I’ve lived alot of places and I’ve adapted, tried to limit my influence on others and let their culture shine. But does that mean I drink that Waragi in Uganda because everyone else does and risk going blind or having further implications? Does that mean I would let someone else force it down my throat? Is it ok and smart to stand up for yourself when you travel or live elsewhere? I mean your argument just makes no sense. Tourists come to France, yes, and some I agree can be annoying. But you know what, plenty come to experience the culture, sit at a cafe and get used to throwing back espressos instead of their tall coffees with cream and sugar, or whatever your preference. I’m a young woman and I think I have pretty good fashion sense, but even I have trouble pulling off the simple but fashionable Paris look the girls have going on. But I’m not going to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe just because I want to look like everyone else. I’ll adapt with what I have to make sure I’m not offensive, but otherwise I’ll be me. When I travel I have the same mindset. What do I have that is appropriate for this place? And I pack that. Make sure I have pants and baggy tops for India and a scarf to put over my head for whenever I enter a temple.
Cig smoke in Paris, especially, is worse than anywhere I’ve seen. I have pretty bad asthma and it really flares up with cog smoke especially, not just here, anytime I’m around it. Also, secondhand smoke is extremely harmful. So to have the opinion that one isn’t respecting the culture of france because they aren’t respecting Frances bad habits is just stupid. There’s nothing I love more than having a class of wine or champagne and very french meal at a cafe and people watching. The superficial smoking habits, make me sick as a dog with my asthma and my skin has never looked worse with all the pollution and smoke around me. I hardly ever wear makeup and my wash towel turns gray and brown and I can only imagine what I picked up from trying to enjoy my french cultural experience. I’m not going to put my health at risk for a culture that says stuff like what you said….and no one should have to. Smoking sucks, learn the facts!
My wife and I recently moved to Orléans. Everything was perfect until a week later my wife started having trouble breathing. Eventually, so did I. Our apartment reeked of cigarette smoke.
Turns out the guy that moved in the apartment next door smokes. A LOT. I’m talking 8-12 hours of smelling his smoke in our home…3 am and the smell is unbearable in our place. I can’t imagine what it is like inside his unit.
We talked to the neighbor and he said that it was weird, since he smoked near the windows.
This has been a cultural shock for us because, for starters, we tried a lot of things before complaining. Eventually we talked to a management representative. His answer: use air fresheners or candles, which is not very helpful when the smoke is triggering allergy-like symptoms.
He also refused to believe that we were having a problem with the neighbor’s smoke (and I quote “So what? it goes through the walls?”). He insisted that it couldn’t be possible since the building is new (trust me: a drafty corridor makes it possible).
And on top of that: management says the neighbor has the right to smoke in his own place. I mean, sure, smoke whatever and whenever you want…just please let us breathe!!!
To make matters worse, the main manager of the building spent last weekend inside that apartment. So the person who is supposed to solve this kind of issues is also contribuiting to the problem?
I exposed his matter on a French forum in internet. Bad idea: apparently, I’m the one to blame for this situation. The recommendations: stop annoying the shit out of my neighbor, move somewhere else, put a fan on the door. Oddly enough, no one raised any questions about the manager contribuiting next door.
Is this normal?
Also, what’s with this refusal to believe things don’t work as they are supposed to? We had previously complained about the wifi and they blamed it on our PC being foreign, because they couldn’t believe the wifi wouldn’t work (I had to show them a video of how I logged in and it took like 5 minutes just to load google.com)
Well, we ended up buying an air purifier online. It works beautifully! Except it is not enough for a 12 hour smoke-a-ton next door. We still get a faint smell of cigarette but it is less irritating, but hey! far be it from us to deny our dear neighbor the pleasure of his daily cigarette extravaganza!
Sorry for the long (and possibly annoying post). I had to vent. Also, sorry for my bad English. We feel totally at loss here. Are any of these situations normal?
The only thing that sounds abnormal to me is the fact that your apartment has a problem with cigarette smoke. That’s very odd.
But yeah, where you’re seriously mistaken is when you imply that the neighbor should solve the problem somehow. He’s not doing anything illegal or forbidden. He doesn’t smoke in your place, but in his. Not his problem.
Not sure I understand the manager spending the week-end in the neighbor’s apartment. Are they friend?
In any case, it’s very unfortunate that this is happening to you, but while the manager should help, it kinda is your responsibility to fix the problem. First try to figure out how the smoke comes into your place, because that’s the weird part of your story.
The French state has a complex relationship with tobacco which complicates things. It starts off with the farmers who make a living growing tobacco in France. Then there is the fact that not only are there taxes as in the rest of the world, but the French state has a monopoly on all tobacco sales.