Your Apartment Can't Be Smoke Free if Your Building Isn't 

Does someone smoke in your apartment complex? You might be inhaling your neighbor’s secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can travel through doorways, halls, cracks in walls, electrical outlets, ventilation systems, and plumbing. Opening windows and using fans does not remove secondhand smoke.

Secondhand Smoke Can Cause Serious Health Threats to Children and Adults

Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to serious health problems including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and can make asthma worse in adults and children. It is especially dangerous for children as it can result in permanent damage to growing lungs, and cause respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome.  Children, the elderly, and the disabled are especially vulnerable to exposure of SHS, yet they are the least able to avoid it.

What Can You Do?

• Consider Getting Involved to Protect Those Who Live in Apartments and Condominiums: English | Spanish
• Send a letter to your landlord letting them know that you support your complex going 100 percent smoke-free.
• If you are a tenant, do not smoke or allow visitors to smoke in your home.
• If you are exposed to secondhand smoke in your building from other tenants, document the problem and speak to your owner or managing agent and neighbor. Consider a friendly, constructive approach and try to suggest solutions.

We congratulate the City of Madera and City of Chowchilla for adopting a smoke-free parks ordinance and updating their smoking regulations to include electronic smoking devices (e.g., e-cigarettes, vapes). These new ordinances will help promote healthier lifestyles and welcoming environments for residents to enjoy.

SWAT Youth Coalition, Tobacco Control Program staff, and City of Madera Mayor Medellin introducing the new ordinance at the World No Tobacco Day event (May 2019)	SWAT Youth Coalition and Madera County Tobacco Control Coalition (Chowchilla Police, CAL FIRE Madera, Camarena Health, & Madera County Dept. of Public Health) at a community picnic to gather residents’ input regarding smoke-free parks (September 2019).

Kick It California is a free program that helps Californians quit tobacco and nicotine with the help of proven, science-based strategies.  Take the first step toward quitting by calling:

Or Text Kick It CA by texting:

Or download the Kick It CA App:

Central Valley Tobacco Prevention Team

www.healthcollaborative.org
(559) 244-4527