June is Smoke-Free Housing Month

If year after year, a Boeing 747 full of British Columbians crashed killing all onboard, residents from across the province would be understandably outraged and demand that action be taken. Yet this is essentially what’s been happening across the province annually as approximately 600 people die as a result of something they have little control over – exposure to second-hand smoke.

As well as deaths, this exposure to second-hand smoke can cause ailments such as bronchitis and pneumonia, allergies, asthma attacks, and ear infections. Expectant mothers who smoke may deliver children with a lower birth rate, and their children have a higher risk of suffering from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Children are especially susceptible as their lungs are not fully developed and they breathe faster than adults while pets are also at risk.

Thankfully, on the Sunshine Coast, a growing number of residents are taking positive steps to help reduce the impacts of second-hand smoke on people who have had little choice in the matter up until now – people who reside in multi-unit buildings, such as duplexes and apartments. Cigarette smoke seeps from one suite into another though vents, leaks in ceilings and floors, and lingers from one balcony to another; releasing thousands of toxic chemicals into the air.

In Powell River, the following property owners have now implemented smoke-free policies within their rental properties: Remax Property Manager, Chris Carlos, with more than one hundred rental homes, the landowner of the Villa Anna Apartment with 34 suites, and landowner, Doug Love with several rental homes. Glacier Apartments is getting on board with plans to add a ‘smoke free’ clause into their new lease agreements.

Some of the many benefits that these owners can expect to see by designating their homes as ‘smoke-free’ include less need for cleaning and maintenance, increased property values and a decreased risk of house fires (tobacco use is the number one cause of house fires in Canada).

June is Smoke-Free Housing Month. I’m asking that you recognize that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke and consider making your home smoke-free.