Making no-smoking rules WORK
in Affordable Housing
Today we’ll talk about
• Trends
• Why safe & healthy housing should not
be a luxury
• Steps and tools to implement a nosmoking policy
• Understanding tobacco addiction
Smoking: The world has changed
In 1965, 1/2 of adult men and 1/3 of women in
the US smoked and they did it:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
At work
On airplanes
During college classes
In hotels and theatres
In restaurants, bars and taverns
In their homes and
In their beds
Present Day
• Most workplaces are smokefree
• 85% of homes in Oregon and 87% in
Washington have a no-smoking rule
• People expect smoke-free air where they
work and where they live
What we know about
SECONDHAND SMOKE
There is no safe level of exposure to SHS:
“The scientific evidence is now indisputable:
secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance.
It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and
premature death in children and nonsmoking adults.”
U.S. Surgeon General, 2006
Children living in buildings
where smoking is allowed…
Have higher levels of nicotine markers in their
blood.
• SHS can seep into apartments where no one
smokes through shared walls, ventilation
systems and ductwork.
• SHS is absorbed into furniture, carpets,
curtains, clothing, toys, etc that children
come into contact with and put in their
mouths.
Secondhand smoke cannot
be controlled
“At present the only means of
effectively eliminating the health risks
associated with indoor exposure is
to ban smoking activity.”
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating &
Air-Conditioning Engineers
“Treatments” can make it worse
• Separating smokers from non-smokers, using air cleaning
technologies, or ventilating buildings does not eliminate
SHS exposure
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can
actually distribute SHS throughout a building
What we know about RENTERS
• 77% of Metro renters, regardless of smoking status,
prefer to live in smokefree housing
• 46% would feel uncomfortable living next door to a
smoker
• 74% say it’s OK for landlords to ban smoking
Results were similar across all income groups
Portland-Vancouver metro renter survey conducted 2009 by Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc
What we know about
RENTERS and SMOKING
How many renters do you think smoke?
• Survey of Metro renters said: 23% (16% daily, 7% some days)
How many renter households allow smoking inside?
• 82% do not allow smoking anywhere inside + 6% where smoking
occurs rarely or never
Most tenants don’t smoke,
and over half of those who do already go outside.
Oregon and Washington
Smokefree Laws
• Almost every workplace and public place is
smokefree in Oregon and Washington
– This includes public and common areas and anywhere
an employee must pass through in the course of their
duties
– Also no-smoking within 10 feet (OR) and 25 feet (WA)
of any entrance, window or intake unit
Prohibiting smoking is legal…
Smokers are not a protected class.
Nonsmokers may be eligible for protection from
SHS under Fair Housing laws.
“Property owners and managers have every right to restrict
smoking in and on their property.”
Fair Housing Council of Oregon
New Oregon law for landlords
• As of 1/1/10 landlords must disclose, as part
of their rental agreement, whether or not
smoking is:
– Prohibited on the premises
– Allowed on the entire premises
– Allowed in limited areas on the premises
• If smoking is allowed, the disclosure must
state where it is allowed.
HUD Weighs In
HUD strongly encourages
public housing authorities and
multifamily housing rental assistance programs to
implement Non-Smoking policies
for some or all of the units they own or manage.
HUD Notice PIH-2009-21(HA)
HUD Notice H-2010-21
National trends in public housing
*This represents an increase of over 1,000% over the last 68 months.
Safe and healthy housing should not
be a luxury for those who can afford it
Look familiar?
Clean-up after a smoker;
nicotine coats everything
Portland Tribune photos
Safe & Healthy Housing for ALL
• Safe & healthy housing is
key to a person’s physical
safety and well-being.
• Homes should not pose a
serious health hazard to
the people who live there.
Safe & Healthy Housing for ALL
• Residents in affordable housing
have the least amount of choice
and ability to move.
• With long waits to get in, they
are not likely to move out if
they experience unwanted SHS
at home.
Safe & Healthy Housing for ALL
• People with low-incomes already have
higher rates of chronic disease and
disability.
• Exposure to SHS and tobacco use make
this worse.
How YOU can provide
Safe & Healthy Housing
A no-smoking policy is an easy and
affordable way to:
• Improve the indoor air quality of a
building
• Improve resident health
No-Smoking policy might include:
• All buildings
• Inside the units
• Porches,patios and balconies
• Outside areas (such as playgrounds & pools)
• Parking areas
Communicating your policy
• Make sure to use the words “non-smoking”
or “smokefree” in your rental ads
• Put the rule in writing - where smoking is
and is not allowed - that it applies to guests
too
• Post adequate signage
A no-smoking rule doesn’t mean
“no smokers”
It just means NO-SMOKING
Enforcing your no-smoking rule
Just like any other rule:
• Residents can be your best allies
– If a resident complains, document the facts and
resolve the matter
• Prompt consistent action will send a clear
message
– Lack of enforcement with one resident will make
it difficult to enforce with others
Understanding
TOBACCO
Addiction
Who is Ready to Quit?
3 out of 4
Oregon smokers say
they want to quit
Why Don’t They Just Quit?
Chain of Addiction:
• Biologically Addictive
• Psychologically Addictive
• Culturally Addictive
Adapted from materials produced by the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center, Washington State Department of Health
Biological addiction to nicotine
• Feeling of pleasure, decrease in anxiety
• Lasting chemical changes in brain
• Quitting produces withdrawal symptoms
Adapted from materials produced by the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center, Washington State Department of Health
Psychological addiction to
smoking
• Triggered by other behaviors
– Having drinks or coffee, driving, etc
• Self-medication
Adapted from materials produced by the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center, Washington State Department of Health
Cultural/Environmental link to
nicotine addiction
• Friends who smoke
• Activities that involve
smoking
• Advertising
• Movies
• Places that still allow
smoking
Adapted from materials produced by the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center, Washington State Department of Health
What’s in a Cigarette?
4000 chemicals, 50 carcinogens
Benefits of Quitting
20 Minutes
2 Weeks-3 Months
Blood Pressure 
Circulation improves
Body temp in feet/hands 
Lung function increases
8 Hours
C02 Level decreases to normal
Oxygen level increases to
normal
48 Hours
Taste/Smell improves
1 year - Risk of coronary heart
disease decreases by 50%
5 years - Stroke risk is reduced to
that of never-smokers
10 Years
Lung cancer death rate
decreases by 50%
Source:
The American Lung
RiskAssociation
of Heart Disease almost
Nerve endings begin
regrowth
The average person makes 2-3 serious quit
attempts before finally quitting
Adapted from materials produced by the Tobacco Cessation Resource Center, Washington State Department of Health
No-smoking rule
supports cessation
Cessation supports
no-smoking rule
• Moves people along
quitting continuum
• Makes rule easier
to enforce
• Prevents relapse
• Creates supportive
environment for
no-smoking policy
• Creates supportive
environment to stay
quit
One last thought
A disgruntled resident from Housing Authority
of Portland said (in a March 2009 Tribune article)
“If you can’t afford to buy a condo
or your own house,
it’s going to be very difficult to smoke
in your own home.”
Think of it this way
You shouldn’t
have to buy your own home
to be protected from secondhand smoke.
For more information and tools, go to www.smokefreehousinginfo.com
Oregon Smokefree Housing Project
diane.laughter@ comcast.net
Developed by Diane Laughter, MPH, of Health In Sight LLC
This work is funded by the Tobacco Prevention & Education Program, Oregon Health Authority