Protect Your Home From Secondhand Smoke

Everyone has the right to breathe smoke-free air, especially in their own homes. Secondhand smoke drifts through multi-unit housing buildings and can enter common areas and units occupied by non-smokers. Here at the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County, we aim to educate and promote a smoke-free space for everyone.

Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to serious health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It can also worsen asthma in adults and children. Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous for kids as it can result in permanent damage to their lungs and cause respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housings

In a 2020 study conducted by the State of Tobacco Control, the only smoke-free housing options available were non-smoking common areas in Calexico and El Centro. Having a multi-unit housing that implements smoke-free policies can bring many benefits to the residents, such as:

• Protects Housing Residents From Dangerous Secondhand Smoke
• Encourages Healthy Behaviors for Residents and Employees
• Reduces Smoking in Youth
• Reduces Turnover Cost of Units
• Lowers Fire Risk and Insurance Cost

Learn more about secondhand smoke in multi-unit housings by clicking on these links:

• https://tobaccofreeca.com/secondhand-smoke/smokefree-home/
• https://www.lung.org/policy-advocacy/tobacco/smokefree-environments/multi-unit-housing
• https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/going-smokefree-matters/multi-unit/index.html

• Secondhand smoke can travel into an apartment from other rooms and common areas through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, ventilation systems, and plumbing.
• Opening windows and using fans do not completely remove secondhand smoke.
• Heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems cannot eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. In fact, these systems can distribute secondhand smoke throughout a building.

Share Your Story With Us

Have you or someone you know been exposed to secondhand smoke? We want to hear your story! Download and complete the form and send it back to us.

For assistance in implementing smoke-free policies in your multi-unit housing community, please contact us at icsmokefreecoalition@gmail.com.