Voices from within: Housing authority resident's stance on being smoke-free

Secondhand smoke is classified as a Group A carcinogen, causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke, as well as being responsible for a multitude of other diseases. With this mounting evidence, there is a growing concern about the impact of secondhand smoke exposure in multiunit housing settings. Secondhand smoke from one unit in a multiunit housing complex can seep into an adjoining unit through shared air spaces or ventilation systems. The perceptions of 175 Multiunit housing residents were examined using a random cluster sampling design. Data were collected from 10 different multiunit housing complexes throughout a rural community in Southern California. Thirteen key informant interviews were conducted with content analyzed for emerging themes. Findings were used to structure a housing authority survey. Pilot-testing processes were conducted before final survey administration. Survey questions focused on a) perceptions and beliefs; b) factors that influence; and c) strategies to facilitate adoption and implementation of smoke-free common areas. Findings from crosstabulation analyses revealed that most of the residents desired not only smoke-free common areas, but desired smoke-free housing units; of the non-smokers, close to 75% indicated one common area where almost 90% indicated more than one area; for the smokers, one-fourth indicated one smoke-free common area. Findings also indicated that residents are interested in helping move a smoke-free policy forward by posting signs, collecting signatures from neighbors and helping to organize information sessions. Finding emerging from this study can be helpful in public health tobacco education planning efforts.