I am the guinea pig for many of the experiments that I’ve conducted with HRV. This one has been involuntary.
While a number of countries, like the UK and New Zealand, are taking active steps to reduce smoking in the population, Switzerland is way behind. New Zealand is aiming to reduce smokers to 5% of the population by 2025. In Switzerland, non-smokers are in the minority.
My neighbour’s tenant insists on smoking on the landing situated immediately outside my living room window. There is nothing the police can do. While making a noise is an actionable offense, smoking in a public area, even when the smoke invades someone’s home, is fine.
At the end of weekends, when the tenant is off work, his regular smoking leaves my apartment smelling like a full ashtray.
The police suggested that I keep my windows closed. Wow! That’s the same as telling people to block their ears when someone plays their music too loud. In any event, the window is closed. The building is old, and is not hermetically sealed. The smoke gets through.
The impact on my health has been profound, with my health numbers reaching the lowest levels since I started recording over two years ago. And with that, my stress levels are also up.
The police have told me that this is a civil matter, that I need to take up with the owner of the tenant’s apartment. The owner is aware of the situation and, if anything, appears to be pleased by my discomfort.
Switzerland was the last country in Europe to give women the vote, in 1971. On this issue they will also catch up, but I’ll have succumbed to the ill effects of the smoke by then.
