Take photos of the evidence to go with the emails...

Yes, I did not mean add them to the email, but to keep as part of the proof for later.

I think in this case an ultimatum is a good idea. Second hand smoking is a real health risk. Smoking affects people differently and what is considered light smoking to one could be devastating to another. COPD and lung cancer aren't joking subjects and can develop even with light exposure to smoke.

@Dan quitting is an option. I in no way advocate putting up with it. Ultimatums are almost universally ineffective. Do you want to be right? or do you want them to stop smoking?

A phrase I have found useful to signal that I would leave over this without actually saying it is deal-breaker. As in, "I'm sorry, but I'm allergic to cigarette smoke so smoking in the office is a deal-breaker for me" (followed by "can we address this?" or similar).

@MonicaCellio No need to lie. 99% are not allergic to smoke, they just find it disgusting, filthy and unhealthy. "I'm sorry, but smoke in the office is disgusting, filthy and unhealthy. And illegal on top."

@gnasher729 I actually have the diagnosis; smoking in enclosed public places (like restaurants) used to be not only legal but common, which is how I found out. :-( If you don't actually have an allergy you can still be, and report being, sensitive to it. In a workplace situation I have some allergies and some sensitivities; both are equally problematic for sustained exposure, so it doesn't much matter what the formal designation is -- if we can't fix it I'm not going to work in that location.

That first email is excellent because if they don't know it's illegal, they'll probably respond with a refusal. That will make a very useful paper trail for the OP.

Don't threaten lawsuits or regulatory committees unless you are prepared to quit. - I think this sentence is way too long. Just don't threaten those things, full stop. Either do them or don't do them, but don't threaten. There is no tactial benefit in laying your hand on the table like that.

@bruglesco I'd want to be healthy. Health is all you have in this life. If I have a choice between being healthy and going to a smoke environment where my health is at risk, I'd choose healthy. I'd tell them to either stop or I quit, and leave.

@J... Doesn't it depend on how critical you are? While I know that no one is irreplaceable, an ultimatum from an employee that's very productive can be effective.

@bruglesco Sorry, yes. I meant to put it on the question. Deleted comment here.

@Barmar I have seen important people get let go over an ultimatum, and then the company do what they said. Ultimatums by there very nature are very oppositional and have a tendency to elicit strong reactions from people in power.

I would remove the "very" in "very illegal". It makes it sound screechy when this complaint very much isn't.

+1 for amazingly quick edit. :-)

I'd be wary of using "allergic" if you don't actually have a formal documented medical allergy, as this would rip your very strong argument to.shreds. Just say you are sensitive to it and health conscious.

@Stilez workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/138634/…

@Stilez: tobacco is not an allergy typically tested for and is unlikely to be documented. In my experience tobacco smoke strongly has strong immediate negative effects to many people with asthma even though it’s not formally diagnosed. It’s still certainty an allergy in those cases.