As you approach the entrance of the Bremen Housing Authority, one thing is explicitly clear.
You are about to enter a “100 percent smoke-free environment.” The phrase is prominently displayed on a brick sign at the entrance. The Bremen Housing Authority is one of several housing authorities in west Georgia helping residents breathe easier, stay healthier and live longer by going smoke-free.
While a federal smoking rule requires all public housing agencies to have a smoke-free policy in place by July 31, several housing authorities in west Georgia have gotten a head start. The Bowdon and Bremen housing authorities have been 100 percent smoke-free since last summer and the Tallapoosa Housing Authority will be going smoke-free in January.
As part of its efforts to improve the health of residents in Carroll, Haralson and Heard counties, Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well has partnered with these housing authorities in helping to create smoke-free environments. Get Healthy, Live Well is assisting housing authorities by providing the tools needed to transition into a smoke-free property. These tools include a step-by-step toolkit for housing authorities and free Freshstart tobacco cessation classes for tenants who wish to quit smoking.
“Drafting a smoke-free policy is a simple process that can lead to big benefits for tenants’ health,” said Patricia Mitchell, wellness and prevention coordinator at Get Healthy, Live Well. “We applaud the housing authorities in Bowdon, Bremen and Tallapoosa for taking the initiative and implementing smoke-free policies.”
Going smoke-free is something Robert Edwards has been pursuing for quite a while. As the maintenance director for the Bowdon and Bremen housing authorities, he has seen — and smelled — his fair share of apartments that have been damaged by cigarette smoke. In one particular unit, both tenants smoked and never opened their doors or windows, which resulted in his crew having to replace the appliances and remove the ductwork when the occupants moved out in 2015.
But all of the work they did wasn’t enough to get the smell of cigarette smoke out of the apartment. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I think at that point, the executive director realized it was probably a good time to maybe address this as a policy at the housing authority,” said Edwards.
Heidi Stevens, the executive director of the Bowdon and Bremen housing authorities, admitted that Edwards had been asking her about going smoke-free.
“I thought, ‘This is not something else I want to patrol here,’” said Stevens.
But after realizing the amount of work required to overhaul an apartment occupied by smokers, she decided it was time to go smoke-free. After getting approval from both housing authorities, they began the process to go smoke-free, which included advertising in the local paper, holding public hearings and meeting with residents.
“When we were first having the meetings about this, there was a lot of opposition to it,” said Stevens.
Some residents were concerned that banning smoking would only be the beginning and that other “rights” would be taken away.
“It was just something else they thought we were making them do,” said Stevens.
But there were a lot of residents who were for the policy.
“If somebody is smoking on one side of the apartment that’s connected in the unit, then they get the fumes on the other side,” said Stevens. “We had complaints about that all the time.”
During the process of going smoke-free, Get Healthy, Live Well assisted the housing authorities by reviewing their policies and providing signage. Now that the policies are in effect, it may help give smokers the motivation they need to quit. Edwards noted that nearly 100 percent of the new tenants who moved in over the past six months have been smokers.
“I kind of look more at the maintenance side of it, but we need to look at it on the health side too,” he said. “It’s beneficial for both parties and hopefully — by living here — they can give up a habit that took me 20 years to give up. It’s tough. Nicotine is a powerful, addictive drug.”
Since the Bremen Housing Authority has gone smoke-free, several residents have signed up for Freshstart classes.
Going smoke-free also helps protect tenants from the dangers of secondhand smoke. According to data from the Center for Energy and Environment, 60 percent of the air in a housing unit can come from the adjoining units — and that can include tobacco smoke.
The Bowdon and Bremen housing authorities’ policies are 100 percent smoke-free. This means that tenants are not allowed to smoke inside public housing units and common buildings. They are also not allowed to smoke outside on housing authority property or grounds.
“We’re 100 percent smoke-free — inside and out,” said Stevens. “There is not an area that they can go to smoke.”
Going smoke-free also reduces the risk of fire. When maintenance workers went inside the home of a former tenant who smoked, they were surprised by the number of holes burnt into the floor.
“She covered them up by rugs so when we came into the apartment to inspect, we couldn’t see the damage,” Edwards said. “But there were probably 100 burn holes and some of them were two-inches round.”
Stevens described learning about the condition of the tenant’s apartment as a scary moment.
“One area was right beside her bed,” she said. “I don’t know how that place didn’t catch on fire. But when I saw that, I thought, ‘We’re doing the right thing.’”
While going smoke-free was a simple process, actually enforcing the policy can be challenging. Refusal to comply with the policy ultimately results in the termination of the resident’s lease.
“They pretty much get three warnings,” said Stevens. “After the third warning, they’re gone.”
So far, one person has been evicted in Bremen and another in Bowdon. While it may be difficult to catch a tenant in the act, evidence of smoking may be left behind.
“We go into the units six times a year, so if someone is smoking in a unit you might smell it,” said Edwards. “At that point, we tell the office and then they address it with a letter to the tenant.”
Stevens stressed the importance of enforcing their smoke-free policy.
“We know it’s something that we constantly have to enforce,” she said. “You can’t let your guard down whatsoever. If you just have a policy and don’t enforce it, it’s not going to do you any good.”
Roberts noted that educating new tenants is an important part of the process.
“Education is the biggest thing with us,” he said. “Heidi and Terrie [Bentley, housing coordinator,] establish the ground rules and emphasize that this is a smoke-free property. Most people agree to it and are happy to move in.”
Stevens has also gotten positive feedback from some tenants.
“They say, ‘The doctors are so glad that you all have gone 100 percent smoke-free because they’re saying my health is so much better,’” she said.
Owners and managers interested in going smoke-free can contact Get Healthy, Live Well at 770.812.9871 or gethealthy@tanner.org.