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KNUTSON: Smoke-Free Apartments: Good for Children's Health 

The biggest secondhand smoke threat to childrenís health remains right where they live: multi-unit housing developments. In California, nearly 11 million people (34 percent) live in multi-unit housing and a large number of these residents are children. Secondhand smoke can drift into nearby apartments from stairs, balconies, patios, courtyards and through open windows, shared ventilation systems, and gaps around plumbing, ductwork and electrical wiring. Ventilation systems only reduce the odor of smoke and do not remove the tobacco carcinogens from the air.

Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to kids because their lungs are still developing and they breathe in more smoke in proportion to their body size. Children under the age of five spend the majority of their time at home. If they live in an apartment, they are at greater risk for exposure to secondhand smoke when a smoker lives next door. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, secondhand smoke can cause asthma in preschool-aged children and increases the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Infants and children younger than 6 who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of lower respiratory track infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. . . .

Despite all of the advances made in preventing secondhand smoke exposure, Californiaís children are still at risk in their very own home. California voters and residents alike believe that smoke-free policies and offering a choice of nonsmoking apartment buildings are ideas worth considering. Smoke free apartment policies can lead to safer and more productive lives for all, especially Californiaís children.

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