The first and foremost reason for smoke-free housing is clean indoor air.
If second-hand smoke respected boundaries and stayed where tobacco was smoked, we wouldn't have people calling and emailing us every week with complaints of involuntary exposure in their own homes.
Due to differences in air pressure between units, between floors and between the inside and outside of a building, air (and second-hand smoke) can transfer through a variety of leakage paths:
- from a neighbour's patio or balcony, or from outdoor common areas;
- through open windows or doors;
- through electrical outlets, cable or phone jacks, or ceiling fixtures;
- through cracks and gaps around sinks, countertops, windows, doors, floors, walls or dropped ceilings; and
- through the ventilation or forced air system.
Research has shown that up to 65% of the air in a unit can come from other units in the building. Many people think that second-hand smoke infiltration is just a problem in older and leakier buildings. While it's true that such buildings do have air transfer problems, it's not unique to them. People living in new buildings also report unwanted second-hand smoke intrusions, although the leakage paths aren't as obvious to spot.
There are approximately 4.5 million Ontarians (over one-third) living in multi-unit dwellings (rental and owner occupied). Thirteen percent of Canadian homes have at least one person who smokes inside daily or almost daily, and 6% of Canadian children under the age of 12 are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home. However, these numbers do not specify type of residence, nor do they separate children who actually live in the same residence as a smoker from children exposed to seeping second-hand smoke from neighbouring units.
The smoking rate in Ontario stands at approximately 18%. The vast majority of Ontarians don’t smoke and prefer a smoke-free environment. Second-hand smoke causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke, and is especially problematic for those with chronic illnesses and conditions made worse by exposure, such as asthma, heart disease and emphysema.
A no-smoking policy means cleaner indoor air for all tenants as well as a reduced risk of fire. Currently, lit tobacco materials (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) remain the #1 ignition source of fatal residential fires in Ontario.