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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.