More multifamily residences adopt smoke-free policy

John Eaton, Chair of the Tobacco Free St. Johns partnership, reported to local Historic City News reporters in St Augustine, that policies designed to protect residents from secondhand smoke and smoking-related fires are making their way to St Johns County.

With the large number of multi-unit residential housing units available for sale or vacation rental, residential buildings in St. Johns County that are going “smoke-free” are following a growing trend throughout the country.

“A home should be a safe place for everyone, especially for children, people with existing health conditions, and the elderly who are more vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke,” Eaton told Historic City News.  “By making sure that residential buildings are 100 percent smoke-free, property managers are protecting tenants from the dangers of toxic smoke and from the risk of deadly smoking-related fires.”

Eaton said that one such property manager, Coastal Realty and Property Management, has designated units to be smoke-free across all of their properties; totaling over 900 units in St Johns County, alone.

Several multi-unit properties in St. Johns County have implemented smoke-free policies. The growing list of smoke-free properties in the area includes:

• Anastasia Condominiums
• Anastasia by the Sea St. Augustine Condos
• Barefoot Trace St. Augustine Rentals
• Colony Reef St. Augustine Condos
• Coquina Condominiums
• Crescent Sandpiper of St. Augustine Beach
• Creston House St. Augustine Condos
• Four Winds
• Inn at Camachee Harbor
• Island House St. Augustine Condos
• Island South St. Augustine Rentals
• Ocean and Raquet Club
• Ocean Village Club of St. Augustine Beach
• Ponce Landing Condominiums-Quail  Hollow
• St. Augustine Beach & Tennis Club Condos
• St. Augustine Beach & Tennis Resort
• St. Augustine Beach Ocean & Racquet Club
• Sand Dollar St. Augustine Condos
• Seaside at Anastasia St. Augustine Rentals
• Sea Matanzas
• SeaPlace
• Spanish Trace of St. Augustine Beach
• Summerhouse
• The Villas at Ocean Gate
• Tradewinds of St. Augustine Beach
• Windjammer St. Augustine Rentals

All residential dormitory rooms at Flagler College are also designated “smoke-free”.

Smoking-related fires are the leading cause of fire deaths in residential buildings Eaton told reporters.  These fires are eight times more likely to result in death than fires that start from another source, according to Eaton’s research.  He went on to say that smoking-related fires in residential buildings have resulted in an average of approximately 365 deaths, 925 injuries, and $326 million in property loss — each year.

Learn more about the programs available for you as well as the dangers of second-hand smoke and smoking related fires when you visit http://www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/smokefreehousing