Public health officials want smoke-free apartments

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Public health officials in Champaign are hoping to convince landlords to ban smoking in apartments.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District officials said that making apartments smoke free would improve the health of residents who can be exposed to secondhand smoke from their neighbors.

Julie Pryde, district administrator, tells the Champaign News-Gazette (https://bit.ly/1g6edpt ) that the effort comes as the University of Illinois bans smoking on campus.

Health officials say at least 20 area rental companies already ban smoking on their properties and are hoping that other landlords follow suit.

The smoke can waft through ventilation systems, light fixtures, electrical outlets, doorways and windows and can linger in the air for hours.

“It’s a nationwide movement,” said Tara McCauley, a special projects coordinator for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

The public health district is offering landlords information about how to amend leases along with smoke-free signs for their properties.

Mike Kellner, owner of Kellner Rental Properties in Champaign, already bans smoking in his rental units. He told the newspaper that smoke can seep into the paint on the walls and stucco in ceilings.

“Nonsmokers are really annoyed by it,” he said.

The American Lung Association says about 1.3 million people living in multifamily buildings in Illinois are exposed to secondhand smoke.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, https://www.news-gazette.com