Los Angeles Moving Towards Smoke Free Apartments

To promote and encourage adaptation to the government’s smokefree apartment policies, the AAGLA and UCLA Center for Health Policy Research have collaborated together to help renters and landlords in Los Angeles, California.

Secondhand smoke is such a critical health hazard that it causes over 41,000 deaths annually and causes/worsens a number of serious health effects in adults and children including lung cancer, asthma, heart diseases and respiratory infections. Since the smoke drifts through windows, doors and air-vents it manages to affect everyone residing within an apartment building.

It must be noted that when it comes to secondhand smoke, there cannot be a risk-free level of exposure as it contains hundreds of harmful and toxic/carcinogenic chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic ammonia, vinyl chloride and cyanide.

Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to or trigger heart attack.

Smokefree Apartments Los Angeles is result of a citywide partnership being funded by the CDC. Learn more about this initiative here: smokefreeaptsla.org

Smokefree Housing Guidelines For Multi-Units:

The collaboration between AAGLA, UCLA and LAHCID has resulted in release of new guidelines with the aim to implement smokefree policies in multi-unit accommodation. These guidelines have been issued as a LAHCID Rent Stabilization bulletin and clarify the way state law and the current Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) govern smokefree policies in indoor and outdoor common areas and individual units in Los Angeles.

Landlords and those interested in transforming their RSO buildings into smokefree zones can seek guidance on what they can and cannot do. Landlords can also receive referrals to get additional technical assistance and information to quit smoking resources. These guidelines can be checked out on the City of Los Angeles website here: http://hcidla.lacity.org/smoke-free-housing-rso

Furthermore, Smokefree Apartments LA will be holding free workshops to spread awareness about these guidelines at HCIDLA offices around the city. These workshops will be open to public and will be held from September 20 to September 28, 2018. You can found additional information about these workshops, their timings and location on Page 2 of the bulletin. This information can also be accessed via RSVP by visiting the City of Los Angeles website: http://hcidapp.lacity.org/rsoworkshops