Asthma and BBQs

[steve23094]

Hello,

I need somebody's advice that has asthma.

I recently purchased a small Weber portable BBQ (it's great BTW). I live in attached housing. Before I bought the BBQ and fired it up I checked with my neighbours that it would be okay and nobody raised any objections.

Now my neighbour has come to me to say that our BBQ is affecting his wife's asthma. When cooking I'm not producing an inordinate amount of smoke. I'm aware that BBQ smoke can have a detrimental effect on asthma but I think there are ulterior motives at work, my missus was slagging off this same neighbour when she had a little too much too drink and I'm pretty sure they overheard it (I kept telling her to pack it in). I think they have got upset and are using this asthma thing as an excuse to get back.

All I'm thinking is that if they shut their windows just during the period of our BBQ how bad can it really be for her asthma? If her asthma is that sensitive surely she would be totally incapable of walking down London streets?

The bottom line is that I am going to continue to have BBQ's (I haven't bought this to waste my money) so I think I'm going to have to talk to my neighbour and come to some sort of compromise. Do you have any idea what sort of changes we can make to work this out?

Thanks.

[Kiska95]

Hi Steve,

Do a little research about Asthma and BBQ smoke or any smoke for that matter before you speak to your neighbour as you might be very surprised. Asthma is usually brought on by Allergens not irritants and can be any number of things including stress. There are many people that have Asthma that smoke and have taken up smoking not that I advise smoking mind you but worth searching on the net.

[smokewoodshack]

I am afraid your neighbour could be right. In certain asthma patients they are called "trigger mechanisms", and this is where a product or substance sets their asthma off, and unfortunately the smoke could be triggering her asthma which basically sets her asthma off. However it also depends how well there asthma is controlled as to how much it effects them. Does your neighbour or someone who lives in the same household smoke (cigarettes)? if so you have a better arguement.

[beercan]

I have to say both my wife and her sister have asmtha and I q at least once a week if not more all year round and it has never caused any problems to them and thats with them often in close proximity.
Its something I have never really considered but did have a look on the net out of interest
One thing I did find is that wood chips do have the potential to retain pollens etc which can be released through burning and for some people could be an allergen but I would have thought you would need to be in close proximity and generating lots of smoke for that to be an issue.
One thing if you have the room is to move the q with any wind so smokes not heading their way which would counter their moans to a degree
I think you probably hit the nail on the head with them overhearing your mrs comments and Im guessing if she was letting steam off like that there was a reason anyway lol
One thing is if she genuinely does have asmtha she will certainly have something like salbutumol or ventolin in an inhaler and if it was as bad as they describe at some point you are going to see her using it.
Regards the smoking side my wife does smoke even tho she knows she shouldn,t really and that doesnt cause her any problems so sadly the arguement of someone smoking in the house doesnt work
Now if they have cats or dogs thats a different story and for people that genuinely have asmtha more likely to produce a reaction
The bottom line sadly is that it really reacts different with different people the only way you will know for sure is to see her when your q'ing if she is having an asmtha attack you will know for certain.