Forgive my glee, but I was woken up a couple nights ago as smoke from a neighbor’s cigar drifted into my apartment. Smokers, I’m sure, would like to leave it on me to close my windows, in spite of the record heat wave, and/or to get dressed, track them down, and politely request they smoke elsewhere, instead of expecting them to use common sense and maybe closing their own windows.
Well, thank goodness for a state government that is looking out for non-smokers rights. On Tuesday, the California Senate Judiciary Committe passed SB 1598:
Sen. Alex Padilla’s bill would ensure that owners of rental housing have the option to ban smoking on all or a portion of their property, including inside apartment units.
Tenants could continue to smoke inside their homes until their pre-smoking ban rental agreements expired. [ABC News10]
Honestly, though, I’m surprised that landlords haven’t already been allowed to regulate smoking as part of a lease agreement… if motels can forbid smoking in some rooms, why not apartments?
California Faultline 
It’s about time.
Would this also apply to marijuana, hashish and crack?! God, I hope not.