Is your neighbour’s smoking addiction killing you?

For the eight million Canadians living in condos, apartments and row housing, second-hand smoke drifting in from other units is more than just a nuisance— it’s a major health hazard.

Ryan Kennedy, a researcher with the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact says that second-hand smoke in multi-unit dwellings can cause everything from ear infections and asthma to life-threatening conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

“Most people don’t realize that second-hand smoke from an adjacent or near-by unit can seep into other residences in the building through air ducts, walls, floors, elevator shafts and along plumbing and electric lines,” says Kennedy.

“There is no safe level of exposure to these fumes. If you can smell your neighbour’s cooking, chances are you are being exposed to their smoke as well.”

The Propel Centre, founded by the University of Waterloo and the Canadian Cancer Society, is based in Waterloo’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

Studies on low-rise apartment buildings found that up to 26 percent of airflow into units comes from other units. Air contaminated with second-hand smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer.

“Some people think if they open a window or turn on a fan, that’s going to eliminate the second-hand smoke that’s in their household.  But it’s not true—there’s no mechanical way to solve this problem.  The only solution is to live in a smoke-free building,” says Kennedy.

Waterloo Region a pioneer in smoke-free housing

In April 2010 Waterloo Region Housing was the first community housing organization in Ontario to pass a smoke-free policy that was applied to their entire housing portfolio. All new leases signed with the organization, regardless of property type, are now 100 per cent smoke-free. The policy was developed with support from Region of Waterloo Public Health.

“In Canada, there is no legal right to smoke,” said Kennedy. “Waterloo Region is very much a national pioneer in the smoke-free housing initiative. We hope the success of this policy makes it easier for other organizations across the country to implement similar changes.”

This week, Smoke-Free Housing Nova Scotia launched a new website making searching for smoke-free housing in the province easier. The organization also released a series of videos produced in collaboration with Propel on the dangers of second-hand smoke in multi-unit dwellings.

What students need to know when signing leases

“In the private sector, the decision to become a smoke-free building is entirely voluntary,” said Kennedy. “People, especially students need to make sure they are asking their landlords the right questions.”

Questions to ask:

• Is this building smoke-free? When did it become smoke free? (Landlords in some Provinces and Territories cannot make changes to existing leases)
• Have any tenants complained about smoke smells in their units?
• Will the landlord penalize tenants who violate the smoke-free policy?

“I understand why students might not put a smoke-free building at the top of their list,” said Kennedy “But they should remember tobacco smoke is Class A carcinogen and in a perfect world nobody would be exposed to it.”

Each year approximately, 800 Canadians die from exposure to second-hand smoke.