Tenants

"In addition to the health benefits, we can now provide residents with a cleaner, better maintained apartment home, with a reduced fire risk." - Across Washington state and the nation, more and more tenants are asking for smoke-free housing. While many landlords and owners are responding to this market demand, others are unaware of the health risks associated with secondhand smoke, or don’t realize that there’s no remedy for smoke drifting from unit to unit.

In fact, apartment buildings present a unique problem because there is no known ventilation system that can completely remove the threat of another tenant’s secondhand smoke. It can’t be eliminated by separating smokers from nonsmokers, using air-cleaning technologies, or ventilating buildings. Additionally, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can distribute secondhand smoke throughout a building.

Regardless of where it’s present, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Consider the following facts, and then read more about the steps necessary to address the problem in apartment and condo buildings.footnote 1

Secondhand smoke is smoke released from the burning end of a cigarette (side-stream smoke) and the smoke exhaled by a smoker (exhaled mainstream smoke).

Common chemicals contained in secondhand smoke – ranging from toxic metals to poisonous gases to cancer-causing chemicals – may surprise you!

 
Formaldehyde  -  Used to embalm dead bodies
Benzene  -  Used in gasoline
Hydrogen Cyanide  -  Used in chemical weapons
Cadmium  -  Used in making batteries
Arsenic  -  Used in pesticides

Key facts about secondhand smoke footnote 1:

  • There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds -- more than 50 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals.
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke at home or work increases a nonsmoker's risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.
  • Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate negative effects on the cardiovascular system and interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of a heart attack.
  • Breathing secondhand smoke is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Children are also more likely to have lung problems, ear infections, and severe asthma from being around smoke.
  • As few as 30 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure can impair coronary circulation in a non-smoker.
  • Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.




  • Last Updated: 07/10/08

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    This Web site contains information on the revised Clean Indoor Air Act (RCW 70.160). It is not legal advice. This information cannot be considered as a substitute for legal advice from and representation by a qualified attorney.

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