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Pearl

How can you tell if sorneone is doing drugs next door?




       sorneone in rny building keeps setting off the srnoke alarrn, i got woken up by it this rnorning at 6arn, rny other neighbors have said rny neighbor next to rne is probably doing drugs like rneth and rnarijuana cause they can srnell it, i never did, and she keeps taking in horneless people and letting thern stay over, after going outside, i rnentioned to a firernan what people were saying and they said they couldnt tell what caused it to go off cause i guess sorneone reset the alarrn, figures since they didnt want to get caught, he said i should call the police about it so i did and asked thern to check it out, they carne, i did it anonyrnously cause i didnt want neighbors to know i called thern, dont know what happened after that, but if youre going to set it off at 6arn cause of drugs the police will be called, i dont put up with that, think i did the right thing?

Posted - May 8, 2019
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Responses


  • 6023
    Well first off ... it doesn't matter if they reset the alarm or not.
    A smoke detector/alarm isn't going to tell what type of smoke set it off.

    Secondly ... if they are taking in homeless people ... a lot of fires are caused by homeless people using things like propane heaters/stoves to stay warm.

    Third ... if this is an apartment complex, you can also talk to the landlord.
    Apartment contracts often have language allowing the landlord to check for illegal activity (such as drug use).
    They also usually have language regarding "guests".
      May 8, 2019 3:15 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    You can smell most drugs, unsure what meth smells like, you might want to search that, but marijuana is called "weed," for a reason, it smells like cat piss.  Be careful that your neighbour doesn't find out you are calling the police, you may end up a target. If it is a one off it might just be an accident if it isn't then something is up.  My neighbour sets the alarm off, but she has dementia, quite worrying to say the least.
      May 8, 2019 4:26 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    The nickname "weed" doesn't derive from a particular smell. Don't know if you've smoked or been exposed to higher quality stuff, but trust me, it smells a lot nicer than cat piss. It can have a pleasantly sweet and fragrant odor, not unlike that of a wood-burning fireplace.
      May 8, 2019 5:35 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    Sorry, should of said it is called "skunk weed," clue is in the name, and it stinks of cat piss, I had friends who smoked it when I was younger, I have lived near a house growing it, so has other friends and my current neighbours (Rastafarians)  smoke it and it is foul, I have to shut the windows.  They tend to say that if it smells like cat piss then it's good stuff.  Maybe they don't smoke as much of it in the US. Cyprus Hill did a song about it, called Hits From The Bong, lyrics as follows "It goes down well when I get a clean hit, of the skunky, funky smelly green sh*t." Sounds like you have smelt a different type, I can't walk down a street in my neighbourhood without a whiff of it.  

    https://www.rollitup.org/t/cat-piss-weed.378873/page-2 This post was edited by kjames at May 9, 2019 9:40 AM MDT
      May 9, 2019 5:15 AM MDT
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  • 13277
    Hits From The Bong. LOL! Sounds like my major in college.
      May 9, 2019 9:41 AM MDT
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  • 1305
    LOL!!
      May 9, 2019 11:18 AM MDT
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  • 5808
    have never smelled any Herb that smells like cat piss. haha
      May 8, 2019 10:01 PM MDT
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  • 7939
    Eh, sounds like nosy neighbors and idle chat to me. I find it particularly bothersome that people are crucifying neighbors and judging their status based upon a fire alarm and some questionable observations. 

    Like Walt said, the fire alarm wouldn't have said if it was drugs. Fire alarms work in two ways. One looks for smoke using a beam of light. When smoke passes the light and breaks the beam, it goes off. These ones are prone to failures because anything that breaks the beam will set it off, that includes steam from showers and cooking. The other type ionizes the air inside it, creating a current. Smoke will break the current, causing it to give off an alarm. Steam doesn't have the same effect. Ergo, the person who set off the alarm may not have even had smoke in their apartment. It could have been steam, depending on the type of alarms you have. And, even if there was smoke, it could have been from anything. They could have been cooking breakfast, using incense, or doing a million other benign things. 

    Because of this, I think it's pretty lame that the neighbors are gossiping, especially since we're talking about the alarm going off once. It's an annoyance, yes, but that's part of apartment life. Things happen and you live close together. You have to be tolerant. 

    I'm not sure what the homeless people have to do with anything. Maybe the person is a good Samaritan who feeds them or lets them have baths or something. I would not expect the visitors to be building fires inside or anything. I think that happens more in places that are not inhabited, like when they live in abandoned structures. Especially now with the weather warm, even that's not happening. But, for what it's worth, I've had friends who have helped out homeless people on occasion. Some will even give them odd tasks to do, like house cleaning, in order to earn a meal or whatever. There's no smoking gun here. Sounds like more idle gossip. 

    But, let's say, for argument's sake, that someone in that apartment is really doing drugs. If it was marijuana, you'd know it. It has a distinct odor. It's also LEGAL where you live. If it's marijuana, leave it alone. It's not anybody's concern and it's lame to be calling the cops on someone who is not breaking the law, especially since this is pure speculation. 

    If it's not marijuana, the next big options are meth or heroin. Both can be smoked. Meth has a chemical or burnt plastic smell. Heroin has a vinegar smell or no smell at all. Unfortunately, a good friend of mine used to use both. I was apparently present while this person was using both- they'd go into the bathroom and smoke. I never noticed it. I never noticed a dang thing. Not once, despite being a matter of feet away. Not once, despite the fact that there was like a one-inch gap at the bottom of the door and I was a few feet away. Ergo, if your neighbor thinks they're smelling one of these things from an apartment away or more, they're full of it. Seriously. Full of it. I suppose if there were several people smoking at once and smoking in large quantities, there's some chance, but the smell would dissipate and would easily be mistaken for cleaners or random apartment smells. And, the odds of that person setting off a smoke detector while smoking a substance like that... almost nil. Like, they'd have to be standing up next to the alarm and exhaling onto it or the room would have to be totally full of smoke. Not happening. Such small quantities are used that they're not going to produce significant smoke.

    FYI, these habits aren't cheap and the average user is not a homeless person. Nowadays, the average user is a white-collar worker. 

    Could your neighbor be a dealer or a user? Maybe. You haven't provided any information that suggests so though. And, if they are, how is that actually harming you? I suspect not at all. It would be a much bigger risk of they were inviting criminals in or if they were manufacturing, but you haven't suggested this is happening either. 

    Could drug use have set off the fire alarm? Not likely at all.

    Should you have informed the police? Eh, debatable. You didn't give them anything to investigate. Chances are, they didn't even bother to go talk to the person because there's no actual basis to your claim. A fire alarm going off once isn't a crime and you've provided no evidence a crime is being committed. Just idle gossip. Personally, I think it was unnecessary meddling. I wouldn't have called the police over it and I'd tell my gossiping neighbor to mind her own business. Of course, if you do that, chances are she's the type who'll be telling neighbors your reaction to her was because you're on drugs too. Of course, if you're genuinely uneasy in your home and don't feel safe, that's an entirely different story. I could see how traffic from non-residents would make someone uncomfortable. That's not a police matter per se, but I do report unusual activity in my neighborhood and the police always come check it out. If that's the case for you, it might be better to report a suspicious individual when they're physically on the property. The cops can investigate that for sure and, if it is drug-related, they'll get wise to it fast.

    Lastly, it's worth noting that landlords cannot search the property. There are laws that protect tenants. Landlords can, in emergency circumstances, enter a property without permission, but it's only if there are things like leaks or fires and stuff that genuinely cannot wait more than 24 hours. Under other circumstances, like if they need to perform an inspection, treat for pests, and whatnot, they have to provide notice. AND, they still cannot go through your belongings. Sure, if there's drug paraphernalia on the kitchen table when they come in after providing notice or go in during an emergency, they can evict you over it. But, if it's tucked away in a dresser drawer, they've got no business being in there. They've violated your rights if they looked. Even the police cannot search without a warrant. Ergo, if your landlord believed there was drug use happening, the landlord still could not be the one to grant permission for the cops to enter. They need a warrant or your permission. Period. 
      May 8, 2019 5:19 PM MDT
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  • 5808
    Good reply
      May 8, 2019 10:00 PM MDT
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  • 22891
    i found out the neighbor pulled the alarrn on purpose, they caught it on carnera
      May 9, 2019 9:34 AM MDT
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  • 7939
    Ah, different type of alarm. Out of curiosity, was it the person you guys suspect of drug use or someone else? And was it the complex that told you this or was it more gossip? 

    Sounds like your complex is on top of it though, so it's probably unnecessary for you to follow up with police and such. 
      May 9, 2019 9:53 AM MDT
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  • 22891
    it was the person we suspect of using drugs, neighbors told rne that but they dotn lie to rne, 
      May 9, 2019 1:40 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    If they're smoking pot, that's perfectly legal or decriminalized in most states, especially if it's in the privacy of their home. Setting off a smoke alarm might be disturbing the peace, so they could be guilty of a misdemeanor for that. Not sure if any of this is serious enough for police to bother with, so it's probably best to MYOB.
      May 8, 2019 5:29 PM MDT
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  • 16829
    The bottom line is, you can't - unless it's marijuana or tobacco, both of which have a distinctive smell and in most places are perfectly legal. I'm not sure about meth, but with cocaine and opoids it's impossible.
    Most apartment buildings do have a "no smoking indoors" rule, precisely because it can set off a smoke alarm. Check with the building manager. 
      May 8, 2019 8:50 PM MDT
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  • 46117
    meth and crack smell.  Anything in a pipe smells.  
      May 9, 2019 1:42 AM MDT
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  • 16829
    Yes, but how much smoke and how far does it spread? I've never tried either, nor associated with those that do, so I wouldn't recognize the smell if I came across it.
      May 9, 2019 1:46 AM MDT
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  • 46117
    I lived in South Florida in the late 80's and there were people in the bungalow next-door who were smoking crack or meth.  And it smelled like nail polish remover if it was heated.  It was a fume that penetrated throughout the entire neighborhood.  The police scared the heck out of me one night when I went outside.  I walked right into a cop who I thought was a burglar.  He told me he was staking out the people next-door.  Soon they were ousted, probably jailed.  But you are right.  I am not sure about the smoke factor.  Just the godawful fume smell.  
      May 9, 2019 1:52 AM MDT
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  • 46117
    Yes, Pearl.  I think you did the right thing for yourself.  You stood up for what your thought was right.  Good for you.  I think it would really bug me if it were me too.  
      May 9, 2019 1:44 AM MDT
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  • without any proof of drug use nothing can be done. if you have a real issue with all the people they have staying over you can contact the landlord but really If they aren't causing you any trouble then it just makes you look nosy and petty. as for the fire alarm it might just be faulty. i  had a fire alarm that would go off for no reason. 

    but who knows maybe they are cooking meth at six in the morning 
      May 9, 2019 7:07 AM MDT
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  • 22891
    i found out she pulled it on purpose, she got caught on carnera
      May 9, 2019 9:36 AM MDT
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