What Does the Data Say?
When it comes to the safety of and desire for smoke-free housing, the numbers don't lie.
Why Smoke-Free?
Fires caused by indoor smoking are statistically more fatal* than any other type of household fire. In Alberta in 2014/15, household fires caused by smoking resulted in 11 deaths and more than $50 million in property loss.
Two-in-five Albertans living in multi-unit housing report being exposed to second-hand smoke entering their homes from neighbouring units during the past six months.
In Alberta, 72% of people who live in multi-unit housing would prefer to live in a smoke-free building, but only 37% currently do.
In Alberta, 46% of daily smokers living in multi-unit housing would rather live in smoke-free housing.
On average, Alberta property managers estimate that a unit with a lingering odour of cigarette smoke would cost in excess of 10 times more to turn over than a typical smoke-free unit.
More than 30% of Alberta residents in multi-unit housing are extremely concerned about present or potential future exposure to second-hand cannabis smoke in their homes.
Unless otherwise cited, statistics referenced on this page are from the Smoke-free Multi-Unit Housing Public Opinion Survey conducted by the Leger Group and commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society, Alberta/NWT Division. Data were collected between March 15thand March 23th, 2018. The responses include 1,000 Albertans age 18+ living in multi-unit housing. As a non-random internet survey, a margin of error is not reported. Had these data been collected using a probability sample, the margin of error would be ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The data are weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of the population of Albertans living in multi-unit housing based on the most recent estimates available from Statistics Canada.
