Residents in some Squamish condo complexes are butting out after their stratas elected to designate the premises smoke-free.
In June, Artisan owners set a milestone by voting to ban smoking from the complex. The following month Squamish Pointe and Studio SQ followed suit.
"[The Artisan] is the first complex in Squamish and maybe even the Sea to Sky Corridor to become 100 per cent smoke-free," said Mike Young of Dynamic Property Management, the buildings' strata manager. "It was almost unanimous. There are 68 units in the building, including several smokers; however, the overwhelming majority of owners were all for it."
Complaints about second-hand smoke are common occurrences, he said. Even when smoking is restricted, the smoke can easily travel through ventilation systems, out doors and windows and through electrical outlets, Young noted.
"It is definitely the way of the future," he said of the ban.
Heart and Stroke Foundation members hope more Squamish stratas will opt for the same directive. Second-hand smoke is more than simply a nuisance, it's a health hazard and a fire risk, said Mark Collison, the foundation's B.C. and Yukon branch director of advocacy.
About a decade ago a building on the North Shore started the smoke-free trend, said Sharon Hammond, the manager of theSmoke-Free Housing Initiativefor the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The organization doesn't have exact numbers on how many B.C. stratas have enacted such bans, but she said it's on the increase.
Some property owners are scared off by the threat of legal action. However, Hammond said the only cases she's heard of before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal are from residents suffering from health issues induced by second-hand smoke.
"I think what will motivate people to take action is hearing how others are doing it," she said.
The owners of units in the smoke-free zones will benefit from an increase in resale value of their real estate, said Jack Boomer, director of QuitNow for the B.C. Lung Association. There are also significant savings on property maintenance cost.
"Approximately 40 per cent of British Columbians live in multi-unit dwellings," Boomer said. "The vast majority are non-smokers and would prefer to live in a completely smoke-free environment."
