Californian city bans smoking in homes

One Californian city has introduced a smoking ban that is so strict residents cannot smoke in their own homes.

The law, which has been called “the most stringent in the US”, according to ABC News, says that residents cannot smoke in their properties if they share a wall with another home. The ban applies to both homeowners and renters of condos, co-ops, apartments and multi-family homes with three or more units.

The theory is that if walls are shared between homes, secondhand smoke can seep through ducts, cracks and under doors, which can then affect the health of neighbours.

“We based it on a county ordinance," Rebecca Woodbury of the San Rafael City Manager’s office told the broadcaster, “but we modified it, and ended up making it the strictest. I'm not aware of any ordinance that's stronger.”

One developer, Related, who banned smoking in all of its rental homes in 17 different US states, though, said that their decision had been popular: “There are more people who want to live in smoke-free environments than there are apartments available. Demand far exceeds supply."