People living in apartments or condos who have established smoke-free homes are still being exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke, according to a new study released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study looked at tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure for people living in apartment or condos.
Eighty-one percent of homes in multi-unit housing were smoke-free compared to 87 percent of single-family homes, according to the study.
Even though a majority of residents say they live in a smoke-free home, more than a third said smoke from tobacco products enters their homes from elsewhere in the building. In fact, 34 percent reported the presence of second-hand smoke in their living area.
Almost 8 percent reported secondhand smoke entered their homes every day, and 9 percent reported secondhand smoke entered a few times a week, according to the study.
"Opening windows or using ventilation systems does not effectively eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in multiunit housing," Brian King, Ph.D., deputy director of research translation in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and a co-author of the study said in a written release.
In California, more than three dozen communities have banned smoking in multi-housing units according to the American Lung Association.
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For those where smoking is allowed, there are still areas where smoking is banned under California law.
For example, smoking in common areas of apartment or condo complexes is prohibited under the state's workplace smoking ban, according to the California Air Resources Board.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, used information from the the 2013-2014 National Adult Tobacco Survey.
