No Buts About It!
No Smoking signs are popping up at apartment communities and condominiums everywhere. In some states, homeowner associations ban owners from lighting up in their own backyards. In places where smoking is permitted, tenants and owners are beginning to seek protection from the secondhand smoke they say is seeping into their apartments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say secondhand smoke can cause asthma, respiratory and ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome, heart disease and lung cancer. "There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke," the agency says on its website.
Such concerns have led to efforts to ban smoking not only in common spaces of buildings, but also in individual apartments. The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a notice last year encouraging public housing authorities to consider smoke-free policies, and many have, officials said.
Many private developers in the Portland/Vancouver area also are going smoke free. TMG has a smoke free policy for the interior of all single family homes, each apartment community has designated smoke free buildings and each homeowner association has their own policies specific to their community.
“While we want to be respectful of an individual’s right (to smoke), we also feel obligated to protect our residents from second hand smoke and our properties from potential damage”, says Carmen Villarma, President of The Management Group, Inc.
Marin County, California recently passed a new ordinance banning smoking in apartments and condominiums. Contra Costa County also passed a home smoking ban prohibiting smoking if they live in a building with 4 or more units.
Banning smoking in public parks has become a smoldering issue too. Vancouver, Washington banned smoking in city parks effective January 1, 2012 and Lake Oswego’s ban took effect April 2012. Seventeen counties in Oregon currently ban smoking in public parks, however Clark County Washington has not yet made the leap.
Post by Joanne
Vanderhoef
Marketing and Media Specialist
Marketing and Media Specialist
The Management Group
Property and HOA Management in Vancouver WA and Portland OR
http://www.TMGnorthwest.com
Property and HOA Management in Vancouver WA and Portland OR
http://www.TMGnorthwest.com
Follow us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/TheManagementGroup
http://www.facebook.com/TheManagementGroup
Follow us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/TMGNorthwest
http://twitter.com/#!/TMGNorthwest
Once i was smoking in my apartment and then my landlord came to me and said that your Quebec furnished apartment rental would be doubled if it do it again. that was a joke but what you said is reality.
ReplyDeleteFolks who don't smoke want a better environment, they know the smoke of a cigarette is also dangerous for them, my advise for smoking people is they should consider moving to electronic cigarettes, which is not only safer for them but also for other people and environment.
ReplyDeleteI also find it annoying when a person sitting next to you starts smoking, this is the reason i switched to electronic cigarettes and i advice every smoker to do that, it is not only safer but will also help you to give the habit of smoking.
ReplyDeleteSmoking is a dangerous thing not only for you but also for other people who are around you, second hand smoke is considered more harmful than smoking, this is why smoking bans are become strict day by day.
ReplyDelete