Smoke Free Policies Improve Air Quality

Renters make up 43% of the households in North County. 

More and more apartments are adopting smoke free policies which provide a healthy lifestyle for families and children.

Lauren, a resident renting in Encinitas sees the value of living in a smoke free apartment.  Her 1 year old son was born with a heart condition and suffers from asthma.  At seven months of age her son had survived three surgeries, two of them open heart.  Shortly after they brought their fragile little son home to heal and prepare for two more surgeries, their apartment owner, knowing his health issues, moved smokers into 3 units adjoining their apartment.

Lauren said “They knew his life was in immediate danger.  After everything he had endured, the owner thought it was more important that renters had the right to smoke, than give this child the best chance to live.”  Lauren goes on to say “It took seven months of fighting for our rights before they finally took us seriously. It was terrifying.  How could something that could kill your neighbor be a right?  It’s unbelievable, and must change now.”

Lauren’s story is not unique.  Many families suffer from health conditions related to secondhand smoke exposure. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20% to 30%.

Secondhand smoke is known to cause more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children and respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath.  It can cause bronchitis and pneumonia.  Infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at a greater risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  (SIDS) Chemicals in secondhand smoke appear to affect the brain in ways that interferes with its regulation of infant breathing according to the CDC.

A San Dieguito Academy high school student who resides at Encinitas Heights Apartments, a complex that went smoke free in 2015 said “Its so nice not to smell smoke coming from our neighbor‘s balcony.”  Drifting smoke can filtrate into neighboring units through heating and air conditioning vents, dryer vents, windows, doors and kitchen and bathroom plumbing.

Management has the legal right to implement and enforce a smoke free complex.  A nonsmoking policy can reduce the residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke, minimize fire risk, provide economic benefit to the landlord and provide overall quality of life for renters.

As people learn more about the dangers of secondhand smoke, the support and demand for smoke free housing will continue to grow.  Property managers who allow smoking are facing legal challenges from residents seeking protection from drifting smoke.