How far can "illegal substance" smoke spread?

Question

My friend lives in an apartment with an elevator door that opens into his apartment. He has been accused of smoking "illegal substances" and the managing agent is telling him that smoke from his apartment is seeping through the crack in the elevator door, rising up the shaft and tubes and infiltrating everyone's apartment and causing their clothes to smell and apartments to smell. Is this possible? I didn't think smoke could travel that far (he has fans and filters in the apartment and has put towels near the space under the door)). If it is possible to travel that far, don't you think the building was ill designed as cooking odors, sprays, scented candles and insence smells could travel through the building.

Answer 1

Doesn't matter. If it is illegal, the entire block will smell it.

Answer 2

If the building was originally designed with a single air handler and zoned controls for each apartment, then your returns go to everyone Else's returns, and you all share the same air, and it is very easy for everyone to smell it.

Answer 3

smoke travels.  far.  has nothing to do with the building design.  a non smoker can smell it easily.  a smoker can't.  the fans just push it around to other places.

it could be going out a window and into other windows. elavator shafts, heating ducts.  but if smoking is allowed in the building then it's not his problem.  (Except for the illegal part)   if it's not then he's screwed.

I can tell if the guy driving in front of me on the highway is smoking.  even if his windows are up.