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Mom wants smoking ban in all B.C. multi-unit dwellings

Online petition presses provincial government to toughen restrictions
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Naomi Baker and three-month-old daughter Faith. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times

After two years of cigarette smoke seeping into her home, a Langley mom has launched an online petition to have smoking banned in all multi-unit residential buildings.

The for a ѻýMulti-Unit Dwelling Smoking Ban in B.C.ѻý by Naomi Baker (using her maiden name of Naomi Goffman) went up Sunday afternoon (Aug. 26) with a goal of 1,000 signatures.

By Tuesday, the number of signatures was past 700.

Baker said it was the birth of her daughter Faith three months ago that convinced her to take action.

ѻýThat definitely put us on high alert,ѻý Baker said.

ѻýWe are bringing our little baby into an ashtray.ѻý

Baker and her husband bought their condo in Langley City in 2016.

They said they have been dealing with second-hand smoke coming into their unit through the walls and fixtures on a ѻýnear-daily basisѻý since they purchased their suite.

ѻýWeѻýve tried to seal every crack, use fans, open windows and avoid the rooms where the smoke is present,ѻý Baker said.

ѻýWeѻýve tried approaching the neighbour who smokes.

ѻýWeѻýve also lodged multiple complaints to the strata asking for them to help address the issue, but all of our attempts have been unsuccessful to date. ѻý

Shortly before the Bakers moved in, strata council records show there was an attempt to make the building smoke-free, Baker said.

ѻýThe motion lost by one vote.ѻý

The next year, a motion to ban smoking on common property bylaw passed, something the Bakers said has actually made the situation worse because the smoker canѻýt go out on their balcony.

ѻýI have a right to life, I have a right to health,ѻý Baker said.

ѻýIѻým not allowed to poison anyone else.ѻý

The Bakers put their condo up for sale in June.

ѻýWeѻýve tolerated it as long as we can,ѻý Baker said.

The Times has reached out to the condo strata council for comment.

The petition asks Selina Robinson, the minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to make all multi-unit dwellings in BC smoke-free.

ѻýSmoke-free multi-unit dwellings will vastly improve the health of British Columbians, reduce the risk of apartment (and) condo fires, and reduce cost of health care by reducing preventable health issues caused by second hand smoke.ѻý

The petition notes that the legislature currently doesnѻýt accept digital signatures, and asks supporters to contact their local MLA and the minister directly.

Jack Boomer, director of the Clean Air Coalition of BC, said they get an average of two to three complaints a week about second-hand smoke.

ѻýWe understand the frustration,ѻý Boomer said.

ѻýWhen people go to their workplace, theyѻýre protected (by law from second-hand smoke), but when they are in their castle, their home, they arenѻýt,ѻý Boomer said.

He noted with recreational cannabis smoking about to become legal, ѻýI donѻýt think second-hand smoke problems are about to go away.ѻý

According to a new survey commissioned by the coalition, most people would support government measures to increase the amount of smoke-free multi-unit housing.

The May 2018 poll found that half of BC multi-unit housing residents surveyed have experienced second-hand smoke exposure and nearly 90 per cent consider it harmful.

Seventy per cent said the provincial government should make all new market rate and social housing complexes 100 per cent smoke-free and the same amount supported a no-smoking bylaw by default that applies to all units, including balconies.

Baker plans to create a ѻýpaper-based petitionѻý that will meet the legislatureѻýs submission guidelines.

Under the current ѻýѻý in B.C. people are not allowed to ѻýsmoke tobacco, hold lighted tobacco, use an e-cigarette or hold an activated e-cigaretteѻý in common areas of apartment buildings, condominiums and dormitories or transit shelters.

That includes elevators, hallways, parking garages, party or entertainment rooms, laundry facilities and lobbies.



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Iѻým the guy youѻýll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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