Smokefree Air Is a Right
In life, there are needs and there are luxuries. Access to smokefree air at home should not be a luxury.
While Laquita Hawkins and her family were not smokers, living in an apartment building with smokers exposed them to a variety of risks. The American Lung Association in Wisconsin believes that Hawkins and other Milwaukee residents did not deserve those extra risks just because of where they lived.
"My three kids have asthma. I was at the doctor's office Monday through Friday with my kids. My youngest son, his asthma got to the point where we had to watch him sleep because he would stop breathing," says Laquita Hawkins, Milwaukee resident.
Reaching Out
According to Kathy Staats, Prevention Services Coordinator of the Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance, smokefree housing efforts in Milwaukee were kickstarted by a grant the city received from the American Lung Association. The grant allowed them to perform an assessment of smokefree properties in the city and target areas impacted by disparities in the availability of smokefree housing.
Staats quickly found that many residents wanted smokefree policies but were afraid to ask.
Resident Vanessa Llanas asked her landlord to support a smokefree policy. Llanas says that her landlord was interested but wasn't sure how to implement the policy until the American Lung Association in Wisconsin helped her figure out how to do it in a way that respected all residents.
Staats enjoys working with property managers, and she opens the conversation by talking about the cost savings. Turnover costs alone for a smoked-in unit are about three times higher than a non smoked in unit. However, Staats says every single property manager also asks about the health and safety benefits.
"All the property managers I've worked with don't do it for the cost savings alone. They want to provide a benefit for tenant, they want to serve the people that are living in their building," says Staats.
Many Risks
Secondhand smoke is not the only risk factor in an apartment or condo building. Smoking in the home also increases the risk of fires for everyone in the building.
"I was living on the third floor of a five story building. One night, a neighbor started hitting all the doors, waking everyone up. I went outside and saw flames shooting out of the windows. The guy above me fell asleep with a cigarette. If a neighbor hadn't knocked, I might not be here to be the father of my beautiful family," says Darryl Davidson, Milwaukee resident.
The fire danger is part of the reason the Milwaukee Fire Department decided to assist in local smokefree housing efforts. According to Deputy Chief Aaron Lipsp, fires are a risk to residents and the firefighters who respond.
Breathing Easier
More Milwaukee residents now have smokefree policies in their buildings. Llanas says that almost no people moved out. For those few who did, the apartments were quickly filled by new neighbors who wanted smokefree home.
"It's been almost two years since the policy passed but every time I walk into the entry of my building and see the sign that says 'Heritage West Apartments are Smokefree,' I get a little bit of pride. I know that we are part of a solution to strengthen the quality of life," says Llanas.
For Laquita Hawkins, her kids are more active and have less asthma attacks since moving into smokefree housing.
"My six-year old has not used an inhaler in like eight to nine months. I don't have to go to the emergency room anymore," says Hawkins.
The Work Continues
The numbers of smokefree units and buildings continues to grow, according to Staats. While work continues with private property managers, new efforts are ramping up to partner with public housing authorities as well as groups working with persons with mental illness or substance abuse issues.
The scope grows but the mission stays the same—ensure that all Milwaukee residents have access to smokefree housing.
Page last updated: April 17, 2024
