Landlords
In 2006, the Surgeon General released a report stating conclusively that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The report added new momentum for the trend of providing smoke-free housing to tenants nationwide. Washington is one state that continues to offer more and more smoke-free housing options.
Addressing secondhand smoke in apartment buildings is important 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.footnote 19 For a quick look at the top reasons that landlords adopt smoke-free policies, download The Benefits of Going Smoke-free.
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.
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Last Updated: 07/10/08
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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