Edna Freeman Real Estate Implements Healthy Smoke Free Policy

Edna Freeman, owner and her daughter, Lisa Dorfman, manager, of Dickson Garden Apartments on McLoughlin Street and 28 Pearsall Avenue, expanded their Smoke Free Living efforts to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the residents.

Ms. Dorfman felt the responsibility to protect the residents from these dangerous toxins. Carol Meschkow-Manager for the Tobacco Action Coalition of LI (TAC) met with Ms. Dorfman and Dr. Sharon Harris-Executive Director of SAFE to collaborate on this vital initiative.

Ms. Meschkow is an active member of the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition and has partnered on many environmental strategies throughout the Glen Cove Community. TAC is one of 21 Community Partnerships grants funded by the New York State Tobacco Control Program working towards advancing tobacco free communities. The Coalition has been successful working with property owners and managers, helping them to adopt Smoke-Free Housing policies and Tobacco Free Outdoor Bans. For the SAFE Coalition, as community leaders implementing environmental strategies are critical to their mission, and have been the thrust of their efforts across the City.

The growing trend for Smoke- Free Living across the State fuels necessary collaborations of this nature. TAC was able to offer technical support and free signage to communicate Ms. Dorfman’s policy. According to Ms. Dorfman, “besides the obvious health benefits and tenant requests there are many business reasons that support smoke-free housing including; lower maintenance costs, improved value retention, reduction of risks of fire, lessens tenants conflicts due to drifting smoke, and is an environmentally sound practice”.

To further protect her tenants from dangerous toxins Ms. Dorfman went above and beyond by implementing a grounds ban to keep the property litter free and devoid of drifting smoke. She is hoping her leadership will encourage other Owners and Property Managers to offer similar Smoke Free Housing as well. Collectively the three entities goal is to see the expansion of Substance and Smoke-Free opportunities within the City.

To learn more about Smoke Free Living, please visit: www.smokefreehousingny.org. For Quit Help please contact the NYS Quit Line at 1866 NYS Quits.

For more information about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition visit SAFE at: http://www.safeglencove.org.