MY FAMILY, including two children, has had to endure the noxious fumes coming from the neighbours directly beneath us for several years now. We have approached them repeatedly to try to resolve the issue, but the couple - both smokers - are not cooperating.
There are laws to protect neighbours from water dripping from faulty air-conditioners, as well as noise pollution. But for something as serious as inhaling toxic second-hand smoke, we are left unprotected by the law.
Could the authorities consider including smoke that permeates into a neighbour's home under the proposed Civil Law (Amendment) Bill 2015 Clause 38 (1)(a)? Governments that have introduced such laws include those of Utah, and Calabasas and Dublin in California in the United States, and New South Wales, Australia.
For example, in Utah, second-hand smoke is a nuisance if it wafts into any residential unit from a home or business more than once a week for at least two consecutive weeks, and if it interferes with the neighbour's "comfortable enjoyment of life or property".
A good co-measure is to provide smoking zones within neighbourhoods where smokers can puff away to their lungs' content without similarly endangering the health of others. This has been done in Nee Soon South ("More light-up shelters to curb second-hand smoke"; Jan 28).
Considering that 86 per cent of Singapore's population are non-smokers, I truly hope the Government will take more measures to protect non-smokers' health.
Sherley Servos (Mrs)
