Naomi Baker thinks it害羞草研究所檚 fine that the provincial government declared the last week in June to be 害羞草研究所淪moke-Free Multi-Unit Housing害羞草研究所� week, but it would be even better if the government actually did something about the issue.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 [declaring a week] different than having legislation passed,害羞草研究所� observed Baker, the Langley mom who waged a nearly three-year battle to make her condominium a smoke-free building.

害羞草研究所淲e fought really tenaciously, and it took a lot to get it to pass.害羞草研究所�

She was reacting to a call by the Clean Air Coalition of BC, which includes the B.C. Lung Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Canadian Cancer Society, for provincial action during the week to make it easier to ban smoking.

After her daughter, Faith, was born, Baker fought to stop second-hand smoke leaking into their unit through the walls and fixtures, setting up an and also .

In April, Baker and her husband delivered a petition for stronger anti-smoking rules to provincial housing minister Selina Robinson in Victoria.

Robinson seemed receptive, Baker said, but she is still waiting to hear more.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 have an update as to how [the rules would be changed],害羞草研究所� Baker said.

Whatever sort of regulation emerges, Baker stressed, it shouldn害羞草研究所檛 allow smoking even when a majority of people in a multi-unit building support it.

害羞草研究所淣inety-nine per cent can害羞草研究所檛 decide that the one per cent has to suck it up and die of second-hand-smoke,害羞草研究所� Baker commented.

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Coalition spokesperson Jack Boomer declared existing regulations make it 害羞草研究所渆xtraordinarily difficult, time-consuming, costly, and seldom effective for residents, strata management, and landlords, to effect change on their own.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e need government intervention,害羞草研究所� Bommer maintained.

害羞草研究所淐reation of more 100 per cent smoke-free multi-unit housing options should be a health promotion priority.害羞草研究所�

Boomer repeated the coalition call for 害羞草研究所減ractical, positive change害羞草研究所� pointing to recommendations outlined in a coalition-sponsored report released in 2016.

One of the Coalition害羞草研究所檚 recommendations includes making it possible, under BC害羞草研究所檚 Residential Tenancy Act (RTA), for landlords to implement premises-wide no smoking policies that apply to all tenants, with no grandfathering requirements.

Tenants who smoke would be given six months to comply.

The Coalition report also recommends all new strata buildings should be automatically smoke-free, as opposed to current regulations which requires 75 per cent of owners to approve a ban.

One in two British Columbians live in multi-unit dwellings, and given the high cost of housing, and our aging population, the proportion of people living one atop and aside one another will continue to grow, Boomer estimated.

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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com

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