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The late 1990s saw a surge of nationwide smoking restrictions put into effect. State by state, legislation banning smoking in various settings was proposed and passed into law. With varying amounts of resistance and controversy, workplaces, shops, theaters, restaurants and bars in a growing number of cities—including New York City—all went smoke-free.
More recently, as the tide of public and medical opinion has turned more decisively against smoking, administrators in some co-op and condo buildings have attempted to ban smoking not just in common areas, but in private apartments as well. Unlike previous bans, no government intervention is being sought to help make these residential buildings smoke-free. Boards are weighing the legal, moral and economic repercussions of such a decision and sometimes choosing to self-enact smoking bans.
While few would debate the health benefits of an entirely smoke-free building, questions abound whenever a board attempts to regulate residents’ behavior to such a degree. Is it morally right to impose restrictions on neighbors’ private residences? How will such decisions impact the building community’s cohesiveness? How will placing such restrictions on private units affect their resale value? And perhaps most important, is banning smoking in private apartments even legal?
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