142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

300064
Bringing Healthy Air Home: Eliminating the hazards of secondhand and thirdhand smoke in multi-unit housing

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM

Susan Bergquist, Tobacco Prevention , Office of Tobacco and Chronic Disease Prevention, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Phoenix, AZ
Laurie Thomas, MPA , Office of Tobacco and Chronic Disease Prevention, Maricopa County Public Health, Phoenix, AZ
Secondhand smoke has been eliminated from indoor workplaces in many states, yet when workers come home, those in multi-unit communities are often subjected to smoke from their neighbors in common areas and drifting into their own homes.

Maricopa County Public Health began exploring policy opportunities to reduce exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke for tenants of multi-unit housing after the topic was raised at a faith-based community summit in 2009. Maricopa County joined forces with community and health organizations to take action by building resident demand and providing technical assistance for properties to go smoke-free.

Work began with tobacco education presentations to property managers and tenants, creating an opportunity to build support. Coalition members joined the Arizona Multihousing Association and leveraged that relationship to network with property owners and managers and understand their needs. After formalizing the Arizona Smoke-Free Living Coalition in 2012, the group conducted market research of local renters, which revealed a strong demand for smoke-free rentals and a willingness to pay for this amenity.

To date, three workshops have been held to engage property owners and managers. Beyond helping attendees understand the benefits and resources for going smoke-free, these meetings served as informal focus groups to understand the concerns of the industry and have led to more formal advisory committees.

Due to our efforts, 26 properties are now either entirely smoke-free or only allow smoking in designated areas. Nine properties are in the process of adopting smoke-free policies and more than 100 are contemplating a change.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Define the concerns of the multi-unit housing industry: ROI, market demands, developer incentives, legal issues, and more. Identify the vital partners needed to build a diverse coalition. Discuss the importance of branding to create a movement for healthier, safer communities. Formulate how to get the most impact by connecting with the right decision makers and the key staff they listen to.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Control, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have 15 years of experience working in tobacco prevention in Oregon with Washington County Public Health and the American Lung Association and in Arizona with Maricopa County Public Health. Currently, my focus is smoke-free policies in multi-housing, providing technical assistance to property managers so they can offer healthier, safer community for residents. I provide secondhand and thirdhand smoke education for residents, staff and members of the housing industry.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.