The Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon and the B.C. Lung Association have named June Smoke-Free Housing Month. The designation, supported by the Condominium Homeowners Association of B.C., is only part of the groups’ effort to enforce a ban on smoking in residential buildings.
According to Smoke-Free Housing B.C., more than 45 per cent of British Columbians live in condominiums or apartments, and second-hand smoke has been causing problems for non-smoking residents. Complaints become more frequent in the summer months, as residents spend more time outdoors and more people are smoking on their balconies. As such, they say that June is the ideal month in which to call attention to these issues.
“People today are less tolerant of smoking and more conscious of the importance of breathing clean air,” says Jack Boomer, consultant to the B.C. Lung Association and Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon. “B.C. families want to live in healthier, smoke-free environments, but for those who live in apartments and condos, 100 per cent smoke-free options are scarce.”
Even in instances where smoking is restricted to a resident’s apartment or condo, smoke can easily travel through ventilation systems, electrical outlets, under doors and through open windows into surrounding units. Recognizing the value for residents, more than B.C. 100 apartment buildings are now entirely smoke-free, and many condominium developers are following suit.
B.C. already has laws that regulate smoking in common areas such as lobbies, hallways and laundry rooms, but these laws do not apply to private spaces. A 2013 Angus Reid survey of B.C. condo and apartment dwellers found that the majority would prefer to live in a 100 per cent smoke-free building.
“We believe the scarcity of smoke-free housing options will continue to become a bigger issue and the promise of ‘smoke-free living’ a greater marketing advantage for those who take the lead,” Boomer says. “A smoke-free building is desirable, can lessen headaches for property managers, reduce risk of fire, reduce clean-up costs, and for owners, make units easier to sell when the time comes.”
