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Discuss the points on the slide. Reference-Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. Fact Sheet: Secondhand Smoke: The Science, November 2006. www.no-smoke.org Accessed July 31, 2009.) 2
Tobacco smoke does not care if you are the smoker or secondhand smoker. In Alabama, 8000 people die each year because they choose to light up but more than 850people die each year because they have been around people that smoked. It doesn ttake much and it doesn t take long. Just 30 minutes of exposure to SHS causes dangerous changes in the cardiovascular system of nonsmokers. SHS exposure can cause blood platelets to stick together, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Adults who breathe 5 hours of SHS daily have higher bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can lead to clogged arteries. (Reference: 2006 Surgeon General Report) 2006Surgeon General Report fact sheet: Secondhand smoke is toxic and poisonous. 3
SHS causes cancers Stomach, Lung, Colon and Breast Cancer Pancreas, Cervix, Kidney Cancers Head and neck cancers Bladder Cancer Childhood Leukemia It causesheart disease, acute respiratory effects (like wheezing, asthma, and breathlessness). SHS is strongly linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Workers exposed to SHS in confined spaces show increased damage to their DNA. As far back as 2006, the Surgeon General s Report advised people who have heart disease to avoid going places where they may be exposed to SHS. 4
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Restoring an apartment damaged by THS can cost on average 2-3 times more than a nonsmoking unit.rehabbing a heavy smoker s apartment can lead to an expensive, multi-step painting process, replacing countertops, appliances, flooring and carpet. 6
THS can be ingested, absorbed, or inhaled as the chemicals get released back into the air. It is especially dangerous to young childrenwho touch everything then put their hands in their mouths. Restoring an apartment damaged by THS can cost on average 2-3 times more than a nonsmoking unit.rehabbing a heavy smoker s apartment can lead to an expensive, multi-step painting process, replacing countertops, appliances, flooring and carpet. In multi-unit housing, THS can be found in units where smoking occurred, as well as units into which smoke drifted from another unit. HUD is concerned about THS so much thatthey now have a Tech-Study grant to study THS for cleaning research. 7
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Athens- 240 units 600 residents Dec 1,2017 Alex City-477 units 1923 residents Jan 1, 2018 Total residents- 2523 Total units-717 10
TheAlabama Clean Indoor Air Actprohibits smoking in common areas of apartment buildings, senior citizens residences, nursing homes, and other multi-unit facilities. These common areas include: reception areas, lobbies, hallways, laundries, elevators, restrooms, stairways or stairwells, common dining facilities, mail rooms, service lines, and any other area that is expected to be used by the public. 11
Sources: CDC. Alabama Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014 12
Your PHA mustbe smoke/tobacco free by July 30 of next year. 13
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Why should you include ENDSin no-smoking policy? ENDS: Have exploded causing injury and are banned on airplanes Can be a fire hazard Contains liquid nicotine- deadly poison that can be absorbed through the skin Can hinder smoke-free policy compliance and make enforcement difficult Owned by Big Tobacco that markets to children and other disparate populations Numerous poisonings and one child death in Alabama 15
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Make a plan! This sample timeline from Minnesota s Live Smoke Free offers an overview of key steps to implement over the span of a calendar year. 1. Engage residents and staff Conduct a survey Organize residents meetings (not morning meetings) Speak to Resident Councils Educate 2. Determine policy details and compliance/enforcement steps 3. Create your own timeline 4. Meet with your Board/Commission Public comment process 5. Notify residents. It s important to involve them in the entire process. Formal written notice Resident meetings to educate residents about the policy 6. Amend the PHA plan 7. Schedule lease signings Renew existing leases using a smoke-free lease addendum Initiate all new leases with the smoke-free lease language HUD says you must give Reasonable notice:you will want to notify your residents about the policy change in a reasonable period of time. Depending on your building s situation, reasonable notice could be 30-60 days. Minnesota s Live SmokeFree website is a great FREE resource for you and recommends 60-90 days notice. Tell residentsthat they must sign a smoke-free lease addendum or policy by a certain date (a few weeks before the policy change). There are sample resident lettersin your packet and Minnesota s Live SmokeFree has a sample notification letter to send to residents. 17
Why conduct surveys? It plants the idea of smoke-free housing early. It indicates how many residents have smoke-free home rules and how many allow smoking in their homes. It reveals how often residents see or smell tobacco smoke coming into their unit from another unit, a corridor, or elsewhere on the property. It shows residents awareness of the hazards of SHS for people with asthma and other chronic diseases, young children, and pregnant women. It tallies the number of residents with health problems aggravated by SHS, and gauges interest in smoking cessation and cessation support. It helps determine which properties residents are more ready or more hesitant about a smoke-free policy. It provides motivation to keep moving forward on the initiative. 18
This is a sample survey from Minnesota s Live Smoke Free website. Find out how many residents smoke in their apartment units: -Not all households with smokers allow smoking in their units -Some nonsmokers may allow guests to smoke in their units 19
Prepare everyone. Owners, directors and managers should ensure that all residents and employees are prepared for the smoke-free policy. This can be done by hostingpresentations. Plenty of notice should be provided to everyone involved so that they have time to adjust to the change before the effective date. Information to include in resident presentation: Resident survey results SHS and its characteristics,and dangers to residents, especially senior citizens, children and residents with chronic diseases, and pets Quitline information Fire hazards, and rehabilitation costs HUD s rule and 18-month implementation deadline- July 30,2018 Your policy, effective date, and the enforcement protocol Seek advice from other housing providers who have no-smoking policies. 20
HUD recommends a graduated approach especially for special populations such as those with disabilities and mental health issues. Remember: it s not about the smoker, it s about the smoke. HUD says signs are not needed inside the residential living area in the case of duplexes. 21
Staff talking points can include: 1. A no-smoking policy helps lower operating costs 2. Reduces general maintenance costs such as: Cleaning and repairing carpets, fixtures and window treatments Priming and painting walls Replacing furniture 4. Decreases ground maintenance: when the policy covers the entire property 5. Decreases air-treatment system usage: Lowers utility bills by about 30% (according to estimates by Marriott Hotels) 6. Lowers fire risk and damage: Residential fire fatalities, fire injuries, and residential property loss May lower insurance premiums (Ask your insurance provider about a comprehensive fire-safe policy discount.) 7. Improves property values: Less damage caused by tobacco smoke and discarded cigarettes Easier to rent smoke-free homes 8. Saves management and staff time: Spend less time dealing with smoking-related complaints and issues 9. Protects the health of: Residents, staff, and maintenance personnel 10. Reduces the risk of: Lawsuits by people affected by exposure to SHS Fair-housing and disability complaints Constructive eviction claims 22
Staff inside residents units Train maintenance staff to do a visual scan for a policy violation when they routinely inspect units, and to report evidence such as full ashtrays, smoke, or tobacco odors. Usually their role is to document it, report it to the manager, and let the manager address the violation. Photographs If maintenance staff or property managers see evidence of a violation, they should take a picture of it with a time/date stamp, along with another picture that identifies the unit where the evidence was seen. 23
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Smoke-free policies are largely self-enforcing. Have consistent enforcement procedures in place. A smoke-free policy should be treated like any other lease provision or house rule. If the management s process for addressing lease violations is to send a warning letter for the first incident, followed by a violation letter with a specified fine for second and third incidents, then the smoke-free policy should be enforced in the same manner. More info on the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights (ANR) web site. Link on the Resources slide. The following will not be discussed unless brought up by audience. The possibility of eviction may be part of your violation process, although it is important to remember that eviction is not the goal of a smoke-free policy, and efforts should be made to mediate the situation. When notifying a resident that they are in violation of the smoke-free policy, cite any prior violations and let them know the consequences for subsequent violations. Follow through on all reported violations. It will enhance compliance if residents know management takes the smoke-free policy seriously, and are consistent and responsive to reported lease violations. Record enforcement efforts. 27
But when you do have violations: Document and respond to complaints regarding smoking violations in a consistent and timely manner. Smell: You can smell cigarette smoke in the apartment. See: You can see staining or discoloration of surfaces such as walls, countertops, and tiles. Graduated Enforcement - Customize this protocol for your properties. Steps can include: 1. Verbal meeting knock and talk. Managers would document this for their files. 2. Follow up the visit with a letter acknowledging the conversation and the outcome 3. First and/or second warning letter 4. Fines 5. Termination notice 28
Mysmokefreehousing.org-sponsored bythe Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution-A Colorado Housing initiative HUD site-containssmoke-free public housing resource bank including the Change is in the Air toolkit booklet ANRnow has model policy language available to assist Public Housing Agencies with the adoption of a strong smoke-free policy for public housing properties. It starts with a cover letter explaining how the language complements HUD s new smoke-free rule, and how it differs in a few areas such as including e-cigarettes and specifically mentioning marijuana. Additional smoke-free housing materials include a Model Smoke-free Lease Addendum, a tip sheet on Supporting Implementation of HUD s Smoke-free Public Housing Rule, Advice for Enforcing a Smoke-free Housing Policy, and a SHS in Housing infographic. Minnesota s Live Smoke Freehas a wealth of other how to resources including a tool kit broken up in to chapters: Chapter 4: Understanding Legal Issues Chapter 5: Reaching Out to the Multi-Unit Housing Industry Chapter 6: Working With Owners and Managers to Adopt Smoke-Free Policies Chapter 7: Providing Cessation Resources in Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing Chapter 8: Working With Renters Exposed to Secondhand Smoke 29
We maintain the PHA- policy tracking system website KeepANR notified when a PHA goes SF Plan First info 30
Our HUD contact Rachel M. Riley Senior Program Analyst Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7 th Street, S.W., 8236 Washington, DC 20410 Office 202-402-7690 Fax 202-755-1000 Telework Wed and Fri 703-768-0269 31
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