<p>So my school is pretty much crowded for housing this year and, although I contacted the housing coordinator, I am afraid they might not be convinced enough to allow me to change rooms this semester. The problem is my roomate is a smoker and I absolutely despise the smell of cigarette smoke. He has ashtrays in the room and whenever he enters, I can smell nicotine on his clothes. This really bothers me since the room is really small. I also have suspicions he may be or will be smoking in the room (because why else, would you have an ashtray on your desk???). Anyway, I was wondering if you guys have any ideas of how to handle this situation. I don't feel comfortable telling him to put his ashtray in a drawer or expressing that the smell is bothering me. I hope i will be able to move rooms but I just don't want the situation to get worse.</p>
<p>Just tell him you don't like the smell of it, and could he please not do it in the room if he is because (assuming it's probably illegal) you could both get in trouble. If he doesn't stop, then get some febreze and spray it every time he enters the room. He should get the hint then.</p>
<p>@ frasifrasi</p>
<p>First of all, you need to speak up. Tell your roommate that his habits affects your health and your ability to concentrate in the room. That is the first warning. You also need to report your roommate to your RA and eventually housing director. Smoking inside school facilities is prohibited on most campuses. If he is smoking inside the dorm, that is a major fire safety violation. He could be expelled from student housing if he continues to smoke inside the room.</p>
<p>That is the thing, I have never seen him smoke inside of the room, but he does have an ashtray with a couple smoked cigarettes in it. One time I walked in the room and I was fairly convinced he had smoked here. Today is only the third day I have been with him (I got a new roomate for the spring semester), so I don't want sound pedantic by approaching him to raise the issue. Smoking is legal as long as it is outside of the room, so he won't stop smoking and i feel this would be unrealistic(ideal would be for me to move out of the room but the housing department here tries to create as many obstacles as possible--for example, there is a two week freeze where no room changes take place), but even the smell on his clothes affects me. I am hoping the housing director will understand, but it is just very unfortunate that I got a smoker. </p>
<p>I was trying to prepare in case moving rooms wont be possible. If I ever catch him smoking here, I will have him reported immediately. I have zero tolerance to this sort of thing but as of now it is just a nuisance.</p>
<p>Let him know first how you feel. Give him a chance to stop smoking in the room before you go and tell on him right away if you catch him. If you give him a warning(as in just letting him know you don't approve of smoking in the room) then tell the RA if you catch him.</p>
<p>second hand smoke kills. my mom's friend's husband recently died of lung cancer... and he wasn't even a smoker. that is probably the most unjust thing that can happen.</p>
<p>are you next?</p>
<p>how to deal with a smoker?</p>
<p>If I were you, I would start coughing the moment you smell the presence of cigarette smoke. Keep coughing as if you have a severe allergic reaction to it until your roommate asks if you're ok. Then tell him/her about not feeling well, & your "allergies" to cigarette smoke, hopefully the smoking will not happen inside the room.</p>
<p>Your roommate has the right to smoke outside, despite your personal distaste for the smell. The smell can be annoying, but it is certainly not "second-hand smoke" and doesn't impact your health in any way. If he is only smoking outside, man up and get used to it. You might have a boss or partner who smokes one day, and you won't be able to request a change then, so this is something you're going to have to learn to live with. You can only smell it for a few minutes before you get used to it, anyway - my roommate is a smoker, and when he walks in the room I can smell smoke for about 30 seconds. </p>
<p>If he IS smoking in the room, then you can report him and get his ass kicked out. Spent cigarettes in the ashtray is enough evidence to go to an RA. He doesn't have to know that you tattled; the RA can just say that they were walking by and could smell it from the hall.</p>
<p>Jack, i agree. Right now, I am afraid the reporting the presence of an ashtray with spent cigarettes might not be enough. I think the RA wouldn't take it seriously enough and might just have a talk with my roomate, which would create an awkward atmosphere afterwards. if it gets worse I will report him, but for now I am hoping the directors will let me switch rooms.</p>
<p>Move out asap!</p>
<p>I want to do that frost, but first I have to convince the director that I have grounds to do it. It is not up to me you know... He said he was going to come to the room and assess the situation to see if it is bad enough. Any advice on what I should tell him when he gets here?</p>
<p>is there a smoke detector in the room?</p>
<p>hey frasi, are you at Stony Brook or still at PSU?</p>
<p>As for this situation, I would just get a room change. Talk to the housing office about this and I'm sure they'll help you out. Just tell them that the smell of cigarettes gives you a big headache and is affecting your health.</p>
<p>Bring some weed, buy a bong, and inhale together.</p>
<p>This.</p>
<p>Yes mightynick, I will do that, let's hope the director cooperative. And yeah, I am here already.</p>
<p>Year, there is a smoke detector, but that is not the issue.</p>
<p>if your roommate is smoking inside the room, the smoke will very likely set off the alarm...</p>
<p>The reason I asked...</p>
<p>I once stayed in a hotel during a family trip. Someone had smoked inside a room around 2 A.M. & it set off the alarm, everyone was evacuated...</p>
<p>You're making his life miserable. He's making your life miserable. Why don't they just put the smoker in a room with another smoker? That could make the lives of 4 people better.</p>
<p>Until that happens, you should do as much as you can outside of the room...study at the library, visit friends, etc. It isn't right that you have to vacate your room, but what can you do?</p>
<p>Exactly! I think the problem is housing was really crowded this year and several students had to triple, so they might just have ignored all the info on the preference form where I expressed preference for a substance free dorm. I am hoping I can convince them enough to switch my rooms, but I will probably have to wait at least until next week. So far I haven't touched on this with my roomate as it isn't his fault that I hate the smell of cigarette smoke either.</p>
<p>I think spritzing him w/ febreeze will send a message.</p>
<p>yes, that would do it...alternativelly I could give him a laundry gift card or something.</p>