Smoke Free Housing BC


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Strata Corporations > Why Go Smoke-Free

BC has the lowest smoking rate in the country. 85% of British Columbians don’t smoke, and a recent survey of BC residents living in multi-unit housing complexes found that a majority of owners would prefer to live in smoke-free buildings.

Despite this urgent and escalating demand for smoke-free multi-unit housing in BC, only a fraction of condominium complexes are smoke-free today. This is especially perplexing, since while 15% of the BC population smokes, our survey found that only 9% of condo owners smoke. This is a persuasive reason for strata councils to want to adopt a non-smoking bylaw.

While the BC government has gone a long way to protecting the public from the known health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke in workplaces and public places, strata corporations can also play an important role by addressing complaints of second-hand smoke and considering creating a non-smoking bylaw to accommodate non-smoking residents. British Columbians want more smoke-free options in the multi-housing sector - the benefits are just too compelling.

Providing smoke-free housing options for British Columbians is a good idea.

Consider the following:

Adopting a non-smoking bylaw is legal.
Smoke-free living is fast becoming the norm in BC. BC leads the country in smoke-free homes and 84 percent do not allow smoking inside their homes.
Second-hand smoke causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke.
Non-smoking owners are no longer tolerating other people’s smoke infiltrating their homes and making them sick.
Demand for smoke-free homes is on the rise. Close to 40% of BC households reside in multi-unit housing communities, yet there is a major shortage of smoke-free options. This is especially problematic for those with chronic illnesses and conditions.
The benefits are huge. Going smoke-free makes for healthy residents and a safer community.

Going smoke-free is legal, makes good economic sense and there’s strong market demand. Why wait? Check out our How-to Guide for steps on how you can make it happen.