U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Bans Smoking in Public Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has implemented new rules mandating smoke-free policies in all public housing by July 30, 2018. The rule covers 3,100 public housing authorities nationwide, including 47 in Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been working with public housing authorities and local public health agencies for the past 10 years to reduce the health effects of residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke. Already, 22 of the state’s 47 public housing authorities have implemented smoke-free policies. The health department will continue to support HUD’s smoke-free regulations. In Jefferson County, eight public housing facilities have already adopted smoke-free policies, largely thanks to the collaboration between the Jefferson County Public Health Tobacco Prevention Initiative, Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance and the Jefferson County Housing Authority. The Housing Authority was recognized as a 2016 Public Health Champion for its efforts.

Left to right: Leslie Ross, Jefferson County Commissioner Lizzy Szabo, Jefferson County Commissioner Don Rosier, Henry Wehrdt and Jefferson County Commissioner Casey Tighe stand at the Public Health Champions Luncheon March 30 to recognize Ross and Wehrdt's work in tobacco prevention.

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Every Coloradan deserves to live in a smoke-free environment,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, health department executive director and the state’s chief medical officer. “This new rule will help protect those living in public housing from the dangerous health effects of secondhand smoke.”

There is no safe level of secondhand smoke. It can travel through ventilation systems and around doors, windows and even walls, affecting the health of families living in multi-unit housing complexes. Research shows secondhand smoke increases the risk for heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory problems.

A Colorado study found smoke-free policies in multifamily housing reduced secondhand smoke exposure and associated health problems. Such policies also have been shown to decrease the number of cigarettes smoked per day while increasing the number of smokers who quit.

HUD’s rule prohibits smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes in all living units, indoor common areas, offices and outdoor areas within 25 feet of public housing authority buildings. It does not cover privately funded housing developments and does not restrict electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes.

The rule allows public housing authorities to implement additional smoking restrictions such as property-wide smoking bans, designated smoking areas, banning e-cigarettes, or creating buffers around playgrounds and other outdoor areas.

The state health department provides funding, resources and technical support to local public health agencies and other grantees working to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in multifamily housing.

All Boulder County housing authorities are smoke-free. The Delta County Health Department used state funding to help the Delta Housing Authority expand its smoke- and tobacco-free policy to cover 171 units. At the tight properties where the Jefferson County Housing Authority implemented smoke- and vapor-free policies, approximately 1,200 low-income residents in 607 apartments are now protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure.

While some residents resist smoke-free policies, most applaud them. The Jefferson County Housing Authority has received praise for protecting residents with asthma, non-smokers with other health issues and even pets.

“I have been hearing from residents who say that smoking outside has helped them cut back and even think about quitting,” said Leslie Ross, housing program specialist for the Jefferson County Housing Authority. “And their neighbors are happy because they don’t smell the smoke in their units anymore.”

Smoking remains the number one cause of death and disease in Colorado, killing more than 5,000 Coloradans each year. About one in six Colorado adults use tobacco, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Public Health Invites Jeffco Students to Get Involved in Health and Tobacco Prevention

Jefferson County, CO--As a new school year begins, youth in Jefferson County are ramping up for another year of activities to reduce the toll of tobacco in their schools and communities. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, and nearly nine out of 10 people who use tobacco start by the age of 18. If smoking continues at the current rate among U.S. youth, 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 years of age, or one in every 13, are expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related illness. Additionally, studies suggest that nicotine acts to prime or sensitize the adolescent brain for addiction, indicating that effective prevention programs and interventions not only prevent smoking but also decrease the risk of youth progressing to illicit drug use and dependence.  

Both youth and adults in Jefferson County have many opportunities to get involved in the effort to end the tobacco epidemic and help make the next generation tobacco-free.

Opportunities for Youth to Get Involved

Breathe Easy (BE) Teams are youth clubs working on sustainable solutions to the problem of tobacco. Supported by their high schools and Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH), BE Teams work towards healthy, tobacco-free environments and preventing youth from initiating tobacco use. Currently, BE Teams exist at five Jefferson County high schools including Golden, Jefferson, Lakewood, Pomona and Wheat Ridge. For questions about the BE Team or to get involved, contact Zach Dunlop, Youth Engagement Specialist at JCPH at zdunlop@jeffco.us or 303-239-7169.

Both youth and adults are invited to get involved with the Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance (TFJA), a group of individuals and organizations addressing tobacco use in Jefferson County. As part of the TFJA, youth are encouraged to participate in meaningful ways, such as taking on leadership roles within the Alliance. This year, two BE Team students, Morgan Lester and Brittany Willis, earned youth co-chair roles for the TFJA. Please join Morgan, Brittany and the TFJA at the next quarterly meeting on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. For more information about the meeting, visit www.TobaccoFreeJeffco.com.

Youth Leader Highlights

Lakewood High School senior, Morgan Lester, has been a dedicated BE Team member and tobacco prevention advocate for over two years. She has skillfully engaged her peers, the Lakewood High School Parent Teacher Association and elected officials in various communities to support the BE Team’s tobacco prevention movement. One of her many successes involved helping to organize a cigarette butt pick-up at a local park, followed by a presentation of the outcomes to community leaders that successfully inspired change. Morgan also advocated in favor of a smoke and vapor-free public places ordinance in the City of Wheat Ridge, which successfully passed in October 2015.

Brittany Willis, a junior at Golden High School, has been a leading member of the BE Team for more than two years and is passionate about tobacco prevention. As part of the BE Team, Brittany recruited a number of her peers to join in the efforts to reduce the toll of tobacco in Jefferson County. She has also presented to the Golden City Council about the importance of strong smoke and vapor-free policies that protect everyone. On a personal level, she has helped family and friends quit tobacco and has brought the community together over shared values of health and wellness. During her free time, Brittany volunteers as an intern for the JCPH Tobacco Prevention Initiative.

NEW Paid Opportunity for Youth

This fall, the Tobacco Prevention Initiative will be able to give a few motivated youth part time, paid positions as members of the new Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). These youth will work a few hours each month to help promote health in Jefferson County! Youth who have faced challenges because of income, race, language, or other circumstances and youth who are bilingual are encouraged to apply. We are seeking students who are interested in teen health issues, leadership and making a positive difference. Students can apply at www.surveymonkey.com/r/96BF5L8. We encourage applications from youth between the ages of 13 and 20 who have strong communication skills, dedication, an interest in tobacco prevention and a desire to learn. For questions, contact Zach Dunlop at zdunlop@jeffco.us or 303-239-7169. JCPH supports workplace diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability or any other protected class.

Upcoming Youth Advocacy Workshop

As part of a kick-off to the school year, JCPH sponsors an annual, intensive half-day Youth Advocacy Workshop (YAW) that includes skill-building activities and leadership training to support BE Team students in their advocacy and outreach efforts throughout the school year. This year’s workshop will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2016, from 9am to 1:30 p.m at the Jefferson County Courts and Administration Building in Golden and will include lessons on policy change, social justice, professionalism and public speaking. The workshop also allows for teambuilding and fun. For more information about the workshop, contact Zach Dunlop at zdunlop@jeffco.us or 303-239-7169.

Tobacco Education Program for Teens

Concerned about youth tobacco use? Consider Second Chance, a web-based tobacco education program for middle school and high school youth. It is a FREE online, interactive and self-directed program intended to be used as an alternative to suspension. Second Chance may also help teens that have experimented with tobacco to recognize the harms of tobacco use and find support to quit. Ask your school administration if they offer the program or contact Jen Bolcoa at jjbolcoa@jeffco.k12.co.us or 303-982-6505.

Jefferson County Public Health continues to work toward reducing the toll of tobacco in our
communities through sustainable solutions to the problem of tobacco use and exposure.
To learn more about current initiatives and how to get involved, visit www.tobaccofreejeffco.com,
email tobaccofree@jeffco.us, or call 303-275-7555.

Colorado Celebrates Ten Years of Clean Indoor Air

Communities Still Working to Better Protect Coloradans’ Health

Jefferson County – July 1, 2016 marks the ten-year anniversary of the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act (CCIAA), a bipartisan state law designed to help protect Coloradans from exposure to secondhand smoke. The CCIAA went into effect on July 1, 2006, and prohibits smoking in most indoor public places such as restaurants, bars and workplaces.

While the CCIAA has helped to protect the health and safety of Coloradans, there is still more work to be done to protect everyone from exposure to secondhand smoke and the aerosol emitted by electronic smoking devices (ESDs), such as e-cigarettes. Exemptions in the state law still permit smoking and vaping in certain workplaces, such as cigar/hookah bars and retail tobacco businesses, and too many workers and patrons are still exposed to secondhand smoke and aerosol. Additionally, outdoor areas, such as restaurant patios, entryways, parks, playgrounds and trails, are not currently covered by the CCIAA. Studies show that exposure to outdoor smoke can rival exposure to indoor secondhand smoke and lead to negative health effects.

The U.S. Surgeon General states that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Nationally, secondhand smoke kills 41,000 nonsmokers each year. Despite gains made in tobacco prevention in years past, tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and in Colorado. Nearly 500,000 deaths in the U.S. and 5,100 in Colorado can be attributed to smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoke-free laws protect everyone from the harms of secondhand smoke, support people in quitting tobacco and help prevent initiation of tobacco among youth.

The Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance is a group of community members, organizational partners, health advocates and tobacco prevention and control specialists working to reduce the toll of tobacco in Jefferson County and across Colorado. “We know that eliminating secondhand smoke and aerosol exposure is critical to protecting public health,” stated Alliance Co-Chair Dr. Lorrie Odom, MD. “The Tobacco-free Jeffco Alliance recommends communities adopt policies, such as strengthening smoke-free and vapor-free laws, in order to protect everyone from the dangers of being exposed to secondhand smoke or the aerosol from e-cigarettes.”

In an effort to protect people better, some Jefferson County communities have implemented local laws which make more workplaces and public places, including some outdoor public spaces, smoke-free. The cities of Arvada, Edgewater, Golden, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge have also prohibited the use of ESDs wherever smoking is not allowed. Community members are invited to get involved with the Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance to continue improving the health of our communities. Alliance Co-Chair Dr. Charmaine Brittain, MSW, Ph.D. states, “The Alliance joins with our community to make Jefferson County the healthiest place to live and bring up our children. We encourage our community members to get involved and help us make it so."

Jefferson County Public Health continues to work toward reducing the toll of tobacco in our communities through sustainable solutions to the problem of tobacco use and exposure. To learn more about current initiatives and how to get involved, please visit www.tobaccofreejeffco.com, email tobaccofree@jeffco.us,
or call 303-275-7555.