It looks like folks got a little off topic on the smoking issue. Yes, we all know that smoking is bad for us. I'm sure that many of you can still sing the "Smoke is no joke" song from Saturday mornings. The point is that smoking like drinking and drugs is bad for you and bad for the people and pets around you. But due to the freedoms we share here in the US people have a legal to do almost anything the want. I worked for a Chief Petty Officer who told me that quitting smoking was the easiest thing he had ever done because he had done it many times. If I remember the original issue was weather or not a shelter could deny adopting to a person because they were a smoker. I did some legal research into this matter because when I used to raise birds I would not sell to a person who smoked in their home. But I was a private party not an official business so I had the right to be picky about who obtained my animals. If you are a private person looking to place your pets in a home you have the right to be choosy. But if you are a organized shelter who gets government tax breaks or funding you could run into problems if you deny adoption to people because they are smokers. Smoking is now classified as an addiction and is considered in some places a disability. To deny a person who smokes can be considered the same as discrimination against a disability. If the party in question claims that they only smoke outside this is easily proved during a home inspection. There are telltale signs of an indoor smoker by looking at the ceiling above table lamps as well as when you sit on the sofa or chairs. There will also be ash trays in the house. If they already have ferrets stick your nose in the fur. The oil in the fur will pick up cigarette smoke so will will know if the person is being truthful. If the person is an indoor smoker you do have the right to deny adoption because of the health risk to the animals but if they are truthfully outdoor smokers there is no danger to the household and because they are taking measures to keep the addiction to a confined and safe area this is considered steppes to control. I used to be a foster for a animal protection society located in NC. I was fostering a young female dog for them for about six month. During the first month of fostering I found out a nice couple wanted to adopt her. The filled out the papers and left. Several weeks later I asked the manager of the society what ever happened to the couple and I was told that they as well as several others had been turned down. When I asked why they told me they they were not comfortable with the relationship status of the couple because he was a Marine and they had no children. They were concerned that should the women become pregnant that the dog would be neglected. The other applicants had similar BS reasons for being turned down. The African American family was turned because they were not comfortable with the husband. What if something happened and he got laid off. I felt that it was more of a color/race issue. So yes you can deny adoption to a smoker but be careful that you don't get sued or turned in for discrimination. Peace Wendy H. Harmony House [Posted in FML issue 5035]