To complain to neighbours smoking in the garden?

[Quickncjust4this]

Our neighbours have recently installed a canvas covered parabola thing in their garden, with one side (the side pointing towards our garden) left open.

They are now using this as an all seasons smoking shelter. Many times through the day and most evenings they are sat out there puffing away.

The problem is it is completely stinking out my house. The whole of our top floor now stinks of smoke. I've shut the windows be it is still coming in through the vents. I've bought new air fresheners which help but it's still awful.

As non smokers it's really unbearable for us I'm also worried about young children and the health effect to them.

Would I be unreasonable to ask them to stop, or at least to add a 4th panel to their shelter to reduce what reaches our home?

I guess PhD level qualifications related to physics don't require an advanced level of English ('parabola' 'definately') or understanding of maths.
courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-osalgebratrig/chapter/the-parabola/

Are you for real?

You're not being unreasonable. No one wants their home stinking of cigarettes. If they don't mind the smell they should do it in their own home.

Glad it was resolved OP- really felt for you both dealing with disgusting fag smoke getting into your home and the amount of dull, pedantic, anal people on here. Suspect its the same dull people who comment on any thread asking how much booze people drink and proudly reply none, other than a half pint once a month and a very naughty glass of sherry on Christmas day! Get a life and chill the hell out.

@Devora13 I do really wonder what type of person gives up the time to read a 10 page thread just to pick fault and make a belittling comment. Perhaps the time would be better spent with some real life people who can teach you a little about kindness? I hope you day improved

Yes they are to smoke and you should move if you have any problems with people smoking in their garden.

Sorry meant to say if Its weed then yanbu

Quickncjust4this
Thank you for your interesting comment.
I actually spend lots of time with real people who have real problems.
Regardless of the OP's predicament, I find it hard to take it seriously when someone claims to be something they are apparently not.

Smokers are very selfish unfortunately

Raised this as the issue still exists and it seems that thinking along the lines of "people can do whatever they like in their gardens" (despite the fact that others around them would like to enjoy their homes too), has kept popping up. Would question the extent of this, since the following from the government suggests that we are expected to consider other people around us and not cause statutory nuisance (also applies to, for example, noise and light):

Councils must look into complaints about smoke from premises that could be a ‘statutory nuisance’ (covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
For the smoke to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following:

• unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises
• injure health or be likely to injure health

If they agree that a statutory nuisance is happening, has happened or will happen in the future, councils must serve an abatement notice. This requires whoever’s responsible to stop or restrict the smoke. The notice will usually be served on the person responsible but can also be served on the owner or occupier of the premises.

(From the page Nuisance smoke: how councils deal with complaints. More there and under the Environmental Protection Act.)

Also, sometimes contacting one's local councillors can be a helpful step towards improving things in the neighbourhood - they may have ideas that we didn't think of. And, since the official direction of legislation is towards goals such as smokefree generation, support for families who suffer from others' smoking would not be unexpected.

Hope these lines of thinking help in case anyone is in a difficult situation when reading this ❤️