Apartment hunters concerned about avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke now have some new options. Pendleton Square I and II and Sunland Apartments in Hermiston now have no smoking policies in place, with the exception single designated smoking areas.

Northwest Real Estate Capital Corp. in Boise, Idaho. ownes and operates the three properties, which it recently remodeled. Noel Gill, vice president of operations said his company had several reasons to go smokeless.

“By making our communities smoke-free,” Gill said, “we not only eliminate additional maintenance costs and potential fire hazards, but also eliminate health hazards caused by the harmful effects of secondhand cigarette smoke within our communities.”

“I believe these are the first complexes in Umatilla County to adopt such policies,” said Janet Jones, Community Health Educator for Umatilla County Public Health. “We’ve just started working with the owners and managers of local apartment complexes around this issue. Many have informal policies, or are interested in making changes to their smoking policies, but don’t know where to start. We have free tools at public health that can assist them in the process.”

One of the tools available to landlords is “A Landlord’s Guide to No-Smoking Policies,” Jones said. To obtain a copy, landlords can contact Jones at 278-5432, or view it online at www.smokefreehousingnw.com. Another resource is Oregon’s Toll-Free Quit Line, (800) 784-8669, which helps tobacco users quit.

NWRECC provided residents with information about quitting as they guided them through their policy change.

“Seventy-five percent of smokers want to quit,” Jones said, “and smoke-free policies make it easier.”

Jones says she’s hearing from more renters who are trying to find smoke-free apartments to protect the health of their families.

“We’ve had some really excited parents when we tell them that there are now properties with no smoking policies,” she said. “Secondhand smoke exposure is the number two preventable cause of death. Parents are very concerned when secondhand smoke seeps through ventilation from adjoining apartments, or drifts in from a balcony above or below.”

“Now I don’t see little children picking up cigarette butts and playing with them,” said Sunland Resident Manager Regina Richer.

The transition has been a smooth one, Gill said

“During the rehabilitation most of the smokers began smoking outside,” he said. “Our managers at each site have had little or no problem with residents or guests. It’s a real win-win situation for both our corporation and the health of our residents.”