Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Multi-Family Homes

Audience:

This poster will benefit those working in tobacco control and initiatives related to Clean Air regulations.  This project will be of interest to those working directly in the community on tobacco control or prevention and those working at the policy level.

Key Points:

Multi-family housing units are a source of routine exposure to secondhand smoke.  A recent tenant survey conducted in Omaha, NE, found that smoking was allowed inside the buildings in which almost 70% of respondents lived.  Of those tenants living in buildings without smoke-free policies, 27% reported being bothered by secondhand smoke inside their buildings. The purpose of this study was to document secondhand smoke exposure in multi-family housing units. Air monitoring was conducted in five public housing towers, one privately owned complex where smoking is allowed, a privately owned complex where no smoking is allowed, and two single-family non-smoking homes.  The concentration of particulate matter with a diameter 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) was measured. Tobacco smoke is almost exclusively less than PM2.5.  Mean (SD) PM2.5 was 25 µg/m³ (14) in buildings where smoking was allowed versus 9 µg/m³ (4) in buildings where smoking was not allowed (p < 0.05). Tenants of multi-family homes where smoking is allowed are exposed to significant levels of secondhand smoke.   

Educational Experience:

This poster will provide data to support efforts to enact smoke-free housing policies.

Benefits:

This pilot study provides a basis for continued investigation into the effects of secondhand smoke exposure in multi-family units.