SMOKE-FREE HOUSING

The large majority of Mainers living in public housing wish their apartment buildings were smoke-free, according to local surveys. With the smoking rate among Maine adults down to 21 percent and a desire by most smokers to quit, landlords could reasonably conclude a large and growing number of renters feels similarly. That suggests a coalition of anti-smoking groups will have wide and deserved success with their campaign to help property owners make apartment buildings smoke-free.

The program is voluntary. This isn’t about statutes or an argument over rights. It is about health – the Centers for Disease Control says secondhand smoke contributes to about 35,000 heart-disease and 3,000 lung-cancer deaths among nonsmokers each year. The problem of secondhand smoke is especially serious for infants and the elderly.

Practically, however, the campaign by the Smoke Free Housing Coalition is about landlords saving money. According to the Maine state fire marshal, at least 30 percent of fatal fires here are related to tobacco products. Less dramatic are the costs of cleaning up after smokers who have moved out – from getting the odor out of carpets to replacing burn-marked counter tops. A New York Times story last year reported that real-estate agents routinely found that homes in which smokers had lived were harder to sell and got less money than they otherwise would.

The coalition’s goal is to let landlords know they can make some of their buildings smoke-free beyond just hallways and common rooms. Some landlords set up this rule only for new tenants. Another option is to make the announcement of an entire smoke-free building well in advance to give smokers plenty of time to decide. Common courtesy is especially important in a difficult situation like this. It helps that a large majority of smokers would like to quit anyway.

In Auburn yesterday, the coalition marked the first anniversary of that city’s smoke-free housing policy and heard from Sanford officials who say their public housing will follow the same path. The public is long beyond the time of being shocked that smoking may be restricted to protect those who don’t smoke. A voluntary program to improve the air where people live is another positive step toward a healthier Maine. Information about the program can be found at www.smokefreeforme.org.