Singapore — A female Bukit Panjang resident has kept a detailed record of how many times her neighbours smoked cigarettes over a two-week period after she and her mother were subjected to frequent second-hand smoke in their own unit. The smoke has greatly affected their health.
The grand total reached over 150 times, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Identified in Shin Min as a 52-year-old self-employed woman who lives at Block 241 Bukit Panjang Ring Road, she provided the news outlet with a list of the dates and times wherein the smoke from the neighbouring unit entered her flat.
On average, her neighbours lit cigarettes between 12 to 16 each day.
The woman has spoken to her neighbours about the issue, but they only told her that they are allowed to smoke at home.
Moreover, they added that if she wants to file a complaint, she can take it up with the authorities.
She and her mother’s suffering have been intense indeed, with both of them experiencing sore throats and clogged noses because of the second-hand smoke from the neighbours.
What’s even worse is that she has lost between four and five kilos in the past two months because of the smoke, and now weighs only 34 kilos.
Finally, on Jun 17, she decided to begin her detailed documentation of whenever her neighbours smoked.
She told Shin Min that she had already endured former neighbours who smoked for twenty years prior to the neighbours she has now.
When her old neighbours moved out, she was relieved, expecting that she and her mother would no longer be subjected to second-hand smoke.
But the new neighbours have turned out to be worse.
The old neighbours’ second-hand smoke only reached her kitchen, whereas whenever her new neighbours smoke, the fumes reach her bathrooms and even her bedrooms.
She has tried closing her windows completely, but cannot do so because of the heat.
She also said that the building corridors are littered with cigarette butts and that the nicotine smell is stronger than ever before.
When contacted on the matter, the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council told Shin Min that it will coordinate with the residents of the estate, grassroots organisations, the National Environmental Agency (NEA), and the HDB for the betterment of the cleanliness of the area.
It also asked residents to desist from smoking near balconies and windows out of consideration for the non-smokers living in the same area. /TISG
Read also: Resident calls NEA 3 times to complain about neighbour smoking