Smoker and nonsmoker need to clear the air

DEAR AMY: I have lived alone in my house for the past 15 years. A friend of 10 years recently got divorced and needed a place to live, and since I have a three-bedroom house, she asked if I wanted a roommate for about a year. I agreed and am charging her a minimal rent. I'm a smoker, which she knew and said wouldn't be a problem. The very first night when we were watching TV, I lit a cigarette, and she informed me that she was having a problem with my smoking, so I went into another room. She said she didn't want to put restrictions on me in my own home, and I agreed that we may have a problem. I have an evaporative cooler that circulates fresh air and keeps the room free of smoke; I don't smoke in her presence, and I either go into my office or sit on the porch. My question is: How much am I supposed to restrict myself, if at all? We get along very well, and I don't want to damage the friendship. On the other hand, I want to be able to live the way I want to. I may suggest that she get a cable hookup in her bedroom. Is that too much to ask?Smoking MadDEAR SMOKING: If you want to smoke in your own home, it's your right. But because your friend pays rent, she is a tenant and she also has rights.

You should check with a lawyer to see if you have any liability if your friend develops medical problems related to your smoking.

You seem to have taken steps to try to minimize the effect of your smoking on her, but you (and she) should know that cigarette smoke is toxic, even when you're not blowing it toward someone.

You two need to communicate clearly what you are prepared to do regarding your smoking. She may have thought this would be tolerable before she moved in, but now that she is having a problem with your smoking, she should be given a realistic and truthful answer: That you don't intend to alter your habits all that much.

She may need to move.