My friend has cancer. Can he smoke?

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

My friend has cancer. Can he smoke?

Is this an obnoxious request or am I being insensitive? I do not allow smoking anywhere on my property. There is a covered all weather porch with seating and even a TV and a yard. I can understand if they asked to smoke there. Put inside the house? Why can’t this friend step 1 foot outside? If the friend is so immobile from illness, why are they going on a trip? How are they going to get to the second-floor where the bedrooms are? If they’re smoking pot for medical purposes, there are also edibles. All in all, it feel like they are trying to use friends illness to get a benefit, sort of like a fake emotional support dog.

17 Replies 17
Colleen253
Level 10
Alberta, Canada

“All in all, it feel like they are trying to use friends illness to get a benefit, sort of like a fake emotional support dog.”

 

Ding ding ding ding ding, you win the prize @Inna22 !!

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Inna22 

 

As a  cancer survivor and a former smoker, not a good fit.  Decline or boot them. 

 

From the thread, my gut feeling is that the guest request is bull***.

 

Just my opinion.

Max144
Level 10
Bongaree, Australia

@Inna22 

I can sympathize on this one, one guest was working local for a week and i am strictly no smoking so he thought it okay to park up on lawn smoking profusely and then proceed to throw butt on the grass every day. These people should take there habits to hotels or motels. 

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Inna22 what a weird way to phrase that question!

 

I would say "As hosts we don't ask that the health conditions of our guests be disclosed unless there's an impact on mobility or something that might cause the guest safety issues.  We are a non smoking property.  If that's not a fit for your group I'm happy to call ABB and see if we can find something that works better.  Let me know! "

 

Cancer mention is a sympathy attempt.  I'm very uncomfortable when a guest discloses a health condition randomly as I have seen such information used as the basis for complaints in my day job ("I was discriminated against because I told my boss i had cancer and didn't get the promotion I wanted.") My knee-jerk reaction now is to state in writing that I never asked for that information and it's not something that is weighed against whatever service I'm offering.  But I think he's just trying to get around a smoking charge. 

@Laura2592 They haven’t booked yet so I replied with a simple “no and I hope your friend is on his way to recovery”. At least he bothered to read and ask ahead.

@Inna22 good answer!

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Inna22 @Laura2592 @Colleen253 @M199 @Max144 

 

I was wondering when this was going to become an issue.

 

 I’m afraid that Airbnb would side with the guest on this. I saw this somewhere in their messy regulations:

 

“Due to the changing laws in regards its usage, Airbnb has no policy against the use and or consumption of marijuana. However, any other drug is and will continue to be banned from any Airbnb listing.”

 

I expect that certain guests will decide that this means that they can smoke anywhere on your property.

 

It’s nonsense, of course, but it’s not going to stop people from trying, or just doing it without asking and then claiming a medical necessity.

@Brian2036 regular cigarettes are not a controlled substance yet hosts are allowed to ban on it on the property. I would imagine the same applies to pot

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Inna22 

 

That’s true and I agree that hosts have the right to ban smoking anything and everything but I expect people to argue about it.

 

Eventually we may have to deal with claims that banning smoking offends someone’s religious beliefs as well.

 

There’s a Cherokee story, “How Hummingbird Brought Tobacco to the People” that goes like this:

 

”When I was a boy the elders used to say this:

 

Long ago, when this earth was very new and the birds and four-legs could speak the same as People,  there was a very old woman who was only able to stay alive by smoking tobacco.

 

But there was only one tobacco plant in all the world and it grew on an island in the middle of a wide and deep river, and it was guarded by savage monsters….”

 

To summarize, various people and animals tried to steal the tobacco and were unsuccessful until the tiny hummingbird volunteered to try.

 

Everyone thought that was ridiculous but Hummingbird flew across the river, darted in, and stole a few seeds out from under the noses of the guards.

 

The woman’s life was saved and the sacred tobacco grown from those seeds has been used for religious and medicinal purposes ever since.

 

 I still don’t allow smoking in my house. There’s no reason people can’t do it outside if they need to.

 

@Brian2036 that hummingbird saved the woman but killed millions

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Inna22 

 

Definitely a point to ponder.

My answer is still no because I have found:

1. ashes and butts in half empty beer cans dumped in my recycling bin (that says "deposit only clean cans and plastic here")

 

2. I have found cigarette butts put out in my flower pots.

 

3. I have found cigarette butts all over my driveway.

 

4. I have found butts on my porch deck.

 

5. Found the candle they tried to use to hide the scent of the smoke.

 

6. Once found a cigarette hole in my couch (pre Airbnb).

So no means no. I have a white board that has a welcome greeting at the front door and reiterates "No Smoking On the Premises."

Turns out there are a lot of prospective guests allergic to cigarette smoke so not having that problem has made things easier. Smoke doesn't dissipate. The tar and nicotine seem to imbed in surfaces.

Michelle53
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Inna22  I have a no smoking policy.  This past weekend, I had a guest for two days to attend a concert.  I was out Saturday morning, but came home to the smell of marijuana in my house, but the guest was already out for the day. 

 

It wasn't bad, and dissipated pretty quickly. By the evening, the smell was almost gone. He left early on Sunday morning, and a neighbor who is very fragrance sensitive came by and confirmed she could smell nothing. 

 

While cleaning, I found a pill used for pain management (over the counter type, nothing prescription).

 

The guest was otherwise very nice, polite and quiet, and left the space perfect. A lot of snacks eaten. 

 

I'm thinking whatever he smoked he lit up inside, or by the doorway, and then probably went outside, but the central air picked it up and took the smell all over the house. 

 

I'm still trying to decide how to review the guest.

I totally agree with you Inna22, "why should you?". In my Turistic Apartment at Cardeñajimeno, located in Burgos (Spain), I do not allow smoking indoors. I do not mind doing it outdoor -where I have a zone for smokers, which I consider quite cosy for them. Actually, I had an experience with French workers, who one of them smoke in "CACHIMBA"-one of those smoking pipes typical to find in Morocco. I alert to their contact in France  reminding him it was forbidden to smoke in the house, no matter in which way. In conclusion: All type of smoking is band. Immeditely the French worker apologized and idid it outdoors since then.  In end, he admitted not everyone liked smelling it. I felt relief.