FROM: Julie K.O. Trotter, Chippewa County Health Department

NEWS RELEASE

FROM: Julie K.O. Trotter, Chippewa County Health Department Tobacco-Free Projects 635-3636 Jim Bergman, SFELP 734 665-1126

SUBJECT: Smoke-Free Apartments Growing Rapidly in Upper Peninsula, Health Groups Say; Listing of Smoke-Free Apartments Online; Radio Ads Begin May 29th

DATE: May 29, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In recognition of World No Tobacco Day, sponsored annually on May 31st by The World Health Organization (WHO) to call attention to the serious impact of tobacco and secondhand smoke on health, the Chippewa County Health Department, in conjunction with the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project, is continuing their efforts to increase the number of smoke-free apartments in the Upper Peninsula and in their local communities.

Beginning on May 29, two humorous yet informative radio ads will be airing in the Upper Peninsula, encouraging tenants to request smoke-free apartments and encouraging landlords to adopt smoke- free policies in their buildings. Three billboards located in Sault Ste. Marie will also promote the MISmokeFreeApartment website, where tenants and landlords can obtain a wealth of information about the smoke-free housing initiative.

“Landlords are now aware that it is legal to require tenants and their guests to not smoke anywhere in their apartment buildings. They are delighted to be able to designate their buildings smoke-free because they have happy tenants, their maintenance costs drop significantly because they don’t have cigarette burns on carpets or furniture or yellow nicotine stains on the walls and ceilings, and 80% of the population doesn’t smoke, so their market niche is substantial," said Jim Bergman, the director of the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) of The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc., (TCSG), in Ann Arbor.

Julie Trotter of the Chippewa Co Health Department said, "We’ve known for years that secondhand smoke is a scientifically proven cause of cancer and heart disease and that it is a serious threat to the health of all people, but especially to children, older persons and those with asthma, emphysema and other respiratory diseases. Because people spend a substantial amount of time in their homes, we have long promoted smoke-free homes as a healthy lifestyle choice. But, for many apartment residents who don’t smoke, their apartment may still be filled with secondhand smoke because a neighbor’s cigarette, cigar or pipe smoke seeps into their apartment."

“The Chippewa Co Health Department and the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project decided that the best approach was to work with landlords to identify existing housing units that had smoke-free policies, help them publicize the availability of these units, and encourage other housing owners/managers to voluntarily adopt smoke-free policies," said Trotter.

"While we have been thrilled by the number of landlords who have adopted and now advertise smoke-free policies in their buildings, we would like to see the number increase even more so that tenants will be protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke and fires caused by cigarettes. Therefore, starting on May 29th, we will again begin airing two humorous and informative radio ads in the Upper Peninsula encouraging tenants to ask for smoke-free apartments and encouraging landlords to adopt smoke-free policies in their buildings, “said Bergman.

Trotter said, "Smoke-free homes not only protect families from secondhand smoke and fires caused by cigarettes, they also encourage smokers to quit smoking altogether or at least reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. It’s a definite win-win-win situation for tenants, their families and landlords."

To learn more about the smoke-free housing initiative, call the Chippewa Co Health Department at 635-3636 or visit www.smokefreeup.org. For additional information on smoke-free apartments visit http://www.mismokefreeapartment.org or go to the Apartments and Condominiums sections of the SFELP website at http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/apartment.htm and http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/condos.htm. For more information on World No Tobacco Day, visit http://www.who.int/tobacco/communications/events/wntd/2006/en/.