Smoke-Free Environments Law Project -- Recent ETS News
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For the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project home page, click here.

For the Smoke-Free Policies in Facilities Serving Older Persons home page, click here.

 

NEW: MISmokeFreeApartment web site & Campaign to Promote Smoke-Free Apartments

Visit SFELP's award-winning MISmokeFreeApartment web site, which has a wealth of information and resources for apartment owners and for tenants seeking smoke-free apartments. To access the site, click above. To access a press release describing the campaign, click here. To access a press release titled Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing Came of Age in 2007 which describes the dramatic progress made in 2007, click here. To access a press release titled End of Year Heralds Record Numbers of Smoke-Free Apartments in Michigan and the Nation which describes the enormous progress made in 2008, click here.

NEW: DAILY FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS SMOKE-FREE MULTI-UNIT HOUSING Each day we will list a multi-unit residential property somewhere in Michigan that is smoke-free. To locate thousands more smoke-free Michigan residential properties, go to the MISmokeFreeApartment online listing site by clicking above.

5/5: Hearthside Apartments in Portage: Hearthside is acommunity of togetherness. Many Seniors appreciate the dignity of Independent living, yet have the security of knowing that supportive services are near by when needed. The Hearthside has several planned dinners,social events, and activities on a monthly basis,in fact, Its the way of life at the Hearthside, to provide each resident.Encouragement, Opportunity and companionship to make every day full and vital. Come live with us to know the true meaning of community togetherness. Amenities: Parking; Home Health Services Available; Transportation Service Available; Smoke Free; Elevator in Building. To see what's available, click here.

 

News Updated July 2, 2009; 1 note posted today

 

Malibu to ban public smoking; Following up on banning smoking at Malibu beaches, the city council declares no smoking in public open spaces

7/2:  The Malibu City Council on Monday June 22nd voted to adopt an ordinance that would prohibit smoking in public open spaces beginning July 31.  The ordinance, as proposed, would ban smoking within 20 feet of a public event, such as a farmers' market. It would also ban smoking within 20 feet of outdoor dining areas on public or private property, such as hotels and supermarkets.  Businesses with outdoor dining areas would be also required to conspicuously post and maintain "no smoking" signs within the area.  The cost to implement such an ordinance has not yet been determined, but will be based on the amount of public outreach and level of enforcement, a city report states.  All council members except John Sibert, who did not attend the Monday meeting, supported the ordinance.  Click above for full article.

 

An old familiar lifestyle is gone in a puff; Low-income tenants face smoking ban in Vancouver county apartments

7/1:  The following is from a June 27th Columbian article: In 1988, they banned it in airplanes. In 1994, in offices. In 2006, the bars.  And this month, they finally banned smoking in Teri Richard's apartment building.  "When I grew up, there was a big ashtray on everybody's table," said Richard, 53, sitting under a small corner of awning that stretches 25 feet from the nearest door.  Though Richard and a handful of her neighbors are only the latest of millions of tenants across the country to choose such indignities for the sake of an addiction, these tenants have an unusual landlord: the Vancouver Housing Authority.  The new decision by Clark County's subsidized housing agency to ban smoking in some of its properties reflects Washington's successful crusade to drive down cigarette use. ... After years of debate, the VHA banned smoking indoors and on the balconies of Richard's building at the start of June. The company that manages the property has left notes on apartments but is still working out how the new rules would be enforced. On Wednesday, Columbia House in the Hough neighborhood will become the VHA's second smoke-free property. The agency might roll the ban out to others of its dozens of buildings across the county , VHA deputy director LaVon Holden said in May.  Most public housing agencies are doing the same, she said.  "It is just a standard of the business," said Holden, a former smoker. "We are becoming a culture that is less tolerant of secondhand smoke, because we now know the downside."  The decision will save the agency about $1,900 for every two-bedroom apartment that doesn't have to be scrubbed and repainted every time a smoker moves out, Holden said.  Smokers' habits had been making life less nice for some of the Esther Short building's nonsmokers, who are a majority of the tenants. Click above for full article.

 

Acting Surgeon General Issues ÔCall to Action to Promote Healthy HomesÕ

6/12:  According to a June 9th press release from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General:  Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., today issued The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes at a press conference from the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. The Call to Action looks at the ways housing can affect health; its release will initiate a national dialogue about the importance of healthy homes. "The home is the centerpiece of American life," Galson, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, said during today's press conference.  "We can prevent many diseases and injuries that result from health hazards in the home by following the simple steps outlined in this Call to Action."  Some examples outlined in the Call to Action include preventing falls by taking measures such as installing grab bars in showers and preparing a fire escape plan. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults.  Other steps outlined in the Call to Action include:  1) Check gas appliances, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces yearly and change furnace and air conditioning filters regularly. 2) Keep children safe from drowning, lead poisoning, suffocation and strangulation, and other hazards.  3) Improve air quality in their homes by installing radon and carbon monoxide detectors, eliminating smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke, and controlling allergens that contribute to asthma and mold growth.  4) Improve water quality by learning to protect and maintain private water wells. Galson urged everyone from parents and homebuilders to community leaders and policy makers to embrace the holistic approach to creating healthy homes outlined in the Call to Action.  During the event, Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also announced the release of HUD's Healthy Homes Strategic Plan.  HUD's plan demonstrates why healthy homes is a national priority, describes what steps should be taken to achieve healthier housing, and highlights the key public and private partners for implementation.... The release of this document is part of a larger Healthy Homes Initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesÕ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and HUD with support from such organizations as the National Center for Healthy Housing, the Alliance for Healthy Homes, and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. To access the full press release, with links to related materials, click above.  To access the HUD Healthy Homes report and info, click here.  To access more Healthy Homes info, click here.

 

E-Cigarettes:  Cigarettes Without Smoke, or Regulation

6/2:  The following is from a June 2nd  NY Times article: During 34 years of smoking, Carolyn Smeaton has tried countless ways to reduce her three-pack-a-day habit, including a nicotine patch, nicotine gum and a prescription drug. But stop-smoking aids always failed her. Then, having watched a TV infomercial at her home here, Ms. Smeaton tried an electronic cigarette, which claimed to be a less dangerous way to feed her addiction. The battery-powered device she bought online delivered an odorless dose of nicotine and flavoring without cigarette tar or additives, and produced a vapor mist nearly identical in appearance to tobacco smoke.  "I feel like this could save my life," said Ms. Smeaton, 47, who has cut her tobacco smoking to a pack and a half daily, supplemented by her e-cigarette. That electronic cigarettes are unapproved by the government and virtually unstudied has not deterred thousands of smokers from flocking to mall kiosks and the Internet to buy them. And because they produce no smoke, they can be used in workplaces, restaurants and airports. One distributor is aptly named Smoking Everywhere.  The reaction of medical authorities and antismoking groups has ranged from calls for testing to skepticism to outright hostility. Opponents say the safety claims are more rumor than anything else, since the components of e-cigarettes have never been tested for safety. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has already refused entry to dozens of shipments of e-cigarettes coming into the country, mostly from China, the chief maker of them, where manufacture began about five years ago. The F.D.A. took similar action in 1989, refusing shipments of an earlier, less appealing version, Favor Smoke-Free Cigarettes.  "These appear to be unapproved drug device products," said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the agency, "and as unapproved products they can't enter the United States."  But enough of the e-cigarettes have made their way into the country that they continue to proliferate online and in the malls.  Click above for full article.

 

Editorial: Muskegon Community College should implement total smoking ban

6/2:  The following is from an editorial in the June 2nd  Muskegon Chronicle:  Muskegon Community College is on the right track as it moves toward a campus-wide smoking ban.  The board recently voted to begin drafting a proposal that could prohibit smoking anywhere on campus. Other options include creating smoking areas or allowing smoking in parked cars.  The board wants the plan in place by January and wants time to launch an awareness campaign to educate students, faculty and staff about the ban and to point smokers toward resources that can help them quit. They can easily make that goal if they keep moving forward. It's important to allow time for students and faculty to quit smoking in advance of the ban.  The MCC Student Government Association also is pushing for the ban -- something that several other community colleges, including Grand Rapids Community College, already have implemented. A total ban is the simplest and most prudent action the board could take and it may come just in advance of a statewide indoor workplace smoking ban passed last week by the Michigan House and under review in the Senate -- although bills to prohibit smoking in the workplace have been languishing in the Legislature since 2000.  To access the full editorial, click above.

 

At least 112 public housing authorities now have smoke-free policies for some or all their apartment buildings; About a 660% increase in past 53 months

6/1:  The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project maintains this up-dated listing of all the public housing authorities/commissions in the U.S. that we know of which have adopted smoke-free policies for one or more of their apartment buildings.  The listing is done largely in the order in which the policies have been adopted.  As of May, 2009, at least 112 local housing authorities had adopted smoke-free policies for some or all of their apartment buildings, with about 94 being adopted since the beginning of January, 2005; an average of about 1.8 per month. That constitutes an increase in the number of housing authorities with smoke-free policies of about 660% in 53 months.  The 17 states with such policies include Michigan (28), Minnesota (19), Maine (18), Colorado (11), California (7), Nebraska (6), Washington (4), New Hampshire (3), Oregon (3), Alaska (3) New Jersey (2), Wisconsin (2), Idaho (2), Florida, Montana, Indiana, and Kentucky.  To access the listing, in pdf format, click above.

 

Traverse City officials push smoking restrictions; Bill would give local gov'ts the authority to enact a ban

6/1:  According to a May 29th Traverse City Record Eagle  story:  Traverse City leaders hope a new push will help them extinguish smoking in bars and restaurants.  State Rep. Gary McDowell, D-Rudyard, agreed to sponsor a bill in the Michigan Legislature to allow local control of smoking in bars and restaurants. It would give local officials the authority to ban smoking in such places and could spur legislators in Lansing to enact a statewide ban, McDowell said.  "This would allow local units of government to go ahead and make this decision themselves, rather than waiting on Lansing. It's a long process and I'm not sure we can get it done on a state level," he said.  Traverse City officials sought McDowell's help because the local state representative, Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, opposes the idea and said smoking rules should be set by business and property owners. McDowell intends to introduce the bill next week and seek co-sponsors. The bill could get a leg up in Lansing over a statewide ban because many legislators support local control on certain topics, he said.  "I feel we need a statewide ban and I think this would snowball across the state," McDowell said.  The idea is to increase awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke and to protect workers at their jobs, he said.  The new bill is the brainchild of Traverse City Mayor Michael Estes and the Traverse City Commission, McDowell said.  "I think it's a positive step for communities," Estes said. "Forget about Lansing making this decision for us. Give us the local control and let them deal with bigger issues." Click above for the full article.

 

Michigan House passes indoor smoking ban that exempts cigar bars, tobacco shops and Detroit casinos, but passage in Senate is uncertain

5/27:  According to a May 26th news story: A House-authored indoor smoking ban like the one approved last year now heads to the Senate, still absent an agreement between the two chambers that doomed the effort in 2008. The proposed ban that would apply to nearly all indoor workplaces in Michigan, including bars and restaurants, easily passed Tuesday, 73-31, after attempts to weaken or strengthen it were defeated.  Cigar bars, tobacco specialty shops and the gaming floors of Detroit's three commercial casinos would be the lone exceptions in a bill that would make Michigan the 37th state to enact broad prohibitions on workplace smoking. ... Last year, however, the Senate stripped out those exemptions. The bill died months later when House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford, declined to schedule a post-election vote that smoking opponents were confident they would have won.  Ball and other smoking foes in the Legislature voted for Tuesday's ban on the understanding that if the Senate nixes carve-outs for casinos and cigar bars, there would be a House vote to send an exception-free measure to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her expected signature.  "If it comes back a clean bill, we can get the votes to pass it," Ball said.  Rep. Timothy Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe, wasn't buying it, saying the bill caves to "powerful special interests" and "takes us down the same failed path." Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop, R-Rochester, says business owners should make the decision to ban smoking, but says any ban should be a total one. Whether a majority of his Senate colleagues still feel that way is unclear given what advocates say is a growing public expectation in Michigan that the Legislature act. Smoking bans in the states of Wisconsin and North Carolina, home of the tobacco industry, were signed into law last week.  Click above for the full article.

 

Smoke-free regulation approved by Benzie-Leelanau Board of Health; Now goes to county commissioners

5/27:  According to a May 27th Leelanau Enterprise report:  A proposal to ban smoking in public workplaces was unanimously supported last week by the Benzie-Leelanau Board of Health.  The board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the proposed ordinance, which was the subject of a public hearing May 14. Six people attended the public hearing at the Binsfeld Center in Lake Leelanau and expressed support for the measure, department director Bill Crawford said. Based on similar legislation in place in Marquette County and the City of Traverse City, the proposed ordinance prohibits smoking in all enclosed private and public worksites and public places. It would also include restrooms, lobbies, reception areas, hallways and any other common use area.  The only sites where smoking would not be regulated under the measure would be food service establishments, private residences except when used for child care, health care or adult day care facilities, tobacco specialty stores, and casinos owned and operated by Native American tribes. Enforcement would be by the health department officer or a designee. Upon the first complaint, a subject would receive a warning. A second complaint (within one year), is punishable by a fine of not more than $100; second offense, $300; third offense, $500. The ordinance, if adopted by both the boards of commissioners in both Benzie and Leelanau counties, would become effective 90 days after final approval, Crawford said.  Click above to access the article.

 

Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing in Michigan: 0 to 100,000s in 5 Years

5/5: On April 30th at a smoke-free housing meeting in Quebec City, Quebec, SFELP Director Jim Bergman presented an overview of the smoke-free multi-unit housing initiative in Michigan and other parts of the United States. The presentation was a part of an all-day meeting sponsored by the Non-Smokers' Rights Association of Canada (NSRA). Other speakers included Francois Damphousse and Pippa Beck of NSRA, Karine Fournier, Esq., and Jack Boomer of the Clean Air Coalition of British Columbia. Bergman's presentation described the successes Michigan health partners have had in the past 5 years in assisting apartment owners to adopt smoke-free policies for well over 100,000 rental units statewide. He also discussed how this was achieved and the barriers that had to be overcome. To access the 45-slide PowerPoint he used, click above.