The smell of smoke creeping in... "Is someone smoking again in that house's bathroom?"

Disputes Between Neighbors Continue Due to Interfloor Smoking
No System to Prevent Interfloor Smoking Under Current Law

A notice requesting cooperation from residents posted at an officetel in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Midam damdam@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (31), who lives in an officetel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, recently started considering moving due to inter-floor smoking issues. Kim said, "The smell of cigarettes keeps coming in through the bathroom ventilation fan, and it's driving me crazy," adding, "I complained to the management office and even put up smoking warning signs in the elevator, but it was useless." He continued, "After holding back for a long time, I finally went downstairs to complain in person. But they said, 'No one in our family smokes.' It's frustrating not knowing where the smoking is coming from. I really hope people smoke only in designated smoking areas."

As the time spent at home increased due to COVID-19, the number of residents complaining about inter-floor smoking damage has also risen. They express stress over cigarette smells coming through balconies and bathroom ventilation fans and are calling for regulations on indoor smoking. However, some smokers argue that if smoking in residences is legally restricted, it will be difficult to find appropriate places to smoke.

Jung Mo (30), an office worker who started working from home in the second half of last year, is struggling with cigarette smells entering his home. Jung said, "When I work at home, the cigarette smell slowly creeps in, causing stress. Especially, the bathroom smells like cigarettes," adding, "I hate smelling cigarette smoke on the street, but it's even more distressing to have cigarette smells in the place where I should be relaxing."

There are quite a few residents suffering from inter-floor smoking like Jung. According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, complaints about inter-floor cigarette smoke (secondhand smoke) received through the 'People's Petition' last year totaled 2,844 cases, a 19.2% increase from 2,386 cases in 2019.

The government also implemented an amendment to the Apartment Housing Management Act in 2018 to address inter-floor smoking issues, but conflicts between neighbors persist.

According to the amendment, residents of apartment complexes must not cause harm to other residents by smoking inside their units, including balconies and bathrooms. Also, residents affected by secondhand smoke can notify the management entity and request that smoking be stopped.

However, at the time, there were criticisms that the law lacked enforceability and was ineffective. In particular, the investigation methods and authority scope of the management entity were not clearly specified, leading to criticism. Ultimately, reducing inter-floor smoking issues requires the absolute cooperation of residents.

A resident of an apartment building posted a note asking neighbors to refrain from smoking between floors. In response, another resident expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Smoking is not illegal." Photo by Online Community Capture.

Meanwhile, disputes between neighbors over inter-floor smoking have sometimes escalated into various incidents and accidents. In May last year, an elderly man in his 80s in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, caused controversy by making threatening remarks to a neighbor who asked him to stop smoking.

At that time, the man shouted insults through the window to the upstairs neighbor, saying, "Why are you interfering with the downstairs privacy? Are you some kind of spy?" and made threatening remarks like "I'll go up and tear you apart."

Earlier, in August 2016, a man in his 50s was arrested by the police for stabbing a neighbor with a weapon over conflicts related to secondhand smoke.

The problem lies in the fact that secondhand smoke causes harm equivalent to actual smoking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 8 million people die annually from smoking, with over 600,000 deaths attributed to secondhand smoke. It is known that 16% of male deaths and 7% of female deaths worldwide are related to tobacco.

However, among smokers, there are opinions that there are too few designated smoking areas. A netizen who introduced himself as a man in his 30s said, "There are many non-smoking areas, but too few smoking areas, which is the problem," adding, "I wish smoking areas would be expanded, and heavy fines imposed if people smoke outside those areas."

Meanwhile, other countries strictly regulate inter-floor smoking. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, has enforced a 100% smoke-free policy in apartment complexes since 2010. Some states in the U.S., such as California, also regulate smoking in apartment complexes, and Auckland, New Zealand, has designated 85% of its apartments as non-smoking zones to prevent inter-floor smoking damage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.