Advice about smoking neighbours

[LLKH]

I'm 12 weeks with my first today.

DH and I live in a late Victorian terrace which we love. Our neighbours on the right have a property that is not only next to ours, but parts of it are underneath our bathroom.

This wouldn't be a problem at all if they weren't inveterate 3 pack a day each chainsmokers. As it is, their smoking seeps up and into our bathroom filling the bathroom with a dreadful fug (which sometimes spreads over the rest of our upper floor). I have an extrasensitive nose at the moment so even a tiny whiff makes me gag.

DH has been an absolute star in doing his best to seal off all the places we can think of that the smoke could be getting in. Last night, because it was especially bad and I couldn't sleep, DH got out the sealant gun and went hunting for holes again (I thought this was ABCD, and still think that I am a lucky lucky woman) for me.

The thing is we know we should have a word with them, but we're not sure how to go about it as they are in their eighties. They're nice people except for the smoking.

Suggestions?

[louii]

They are allowed to smoke in their own house and unfortunately there is nowt you can do about it, they are in their 80s what u gonna do make them go outside?

[louii]

They are allowed to smoke in their own house and unfortunately there is nowt you can do about it, they are in their 80s what u gonna do make them go outside?

[maktaitai]

Oh blimey.

Can't think of anything, sorry. Could you go and stay with someone for a few days/weeks until you're further on in your pregnancy? I know that's a rubbish suggestion but I don't think there is anything else you can do about this.

[darcymum]

I don't think you can do anything, I'm amazed they are both still alive though!

[Missus84]

You can't really speak to them though, they have a right to smoke in their own home.

[NigellaTufnel]

We had this when I was pregnant with ds1. However, as your pregnancy develops you won't norice. But I do Sympathise.

[yama]

That's really shit LLKH. I'm 29 weeks and the smell of smoke still makes me gag. Awful.

Don't know what you can do though. Sorry, just sympathy from me.

[muggglewump]

Their home, their lungs.
Tough luck I'm afraid.

[HazB2010]

Could you explain the situation and ask them to smoke in a different room? Don't know if this would help or not...

[LLKH]

I didn't think we could do anything and we weren't really intending to speak with them. We do have better manners than that.

As everyone points out, it is their home. It's just unfortunate that their extractor fan extracts directly into our back garden as well.

Still, DH reckons he's found the leak and he and FIL are going to do something about it this weekend.

darcymum maybe they're composed of nicotine by now?

It's nice to know, though, that there isn't really anything we can do. Thanks all.

[Hevster]

You could explain the situation and ask them not to smoke in the room that causes the problem and keep the door shut. Speaking as an ex smoker I would have been a bit 'it's my house, i will do what I like' at first but 2 hours later would probably have overcome my afronted attitude and been mortified that I was upsetting my neighbours.
worth a shot if you can find a nice, non confrontational way of saying it?

[japhrimel]

I'm getting a bit miffed with our neighbours for smoking too, but it's not bad if I close the back windows when they're around.

They're very grumpy anyway so we're not going to say anything but it still upsets me sometimes that I have to sit inside with all the windows closed or even leave my own house because of it.

I know it's their house, etc, but it's my lungs (and sickness) and my baby that are affected by their smoking - I never understand why second-hand smoke isn't taken more seriously (oh, right, the money the Government makes from taxes, that'll be it ).

Could you get someone in to reseal round the windows or something?