How to Go Smoke-Free
The purpose of the Building Success website is to support efforts to implement smoke-free policies.
The Building Success research team conducted three studies that examined the opinions and experiences of early adopters of smoke-free housing policies, and identified key approaches that supported implementation efforts. This website provides information on how to implement a smoke-free housing policy. It identifies common barriers and strategies to overcome them and documents step-by-step strategies to support policy implementation. Adopting a smoke-free policy can be difficult at times but it’s helpful to remember that the end goal is to protect the health of everyone in the community.
Smoke-free policy implementation involves PREPARATION.
- The process starts with good planning, including decisions about:
- What is the best plan for my community? How do we communicate the reason for the policy and get everyone on board? How can we help smokers adhere to the policy? What resources do we need? What will we do if things aren’t going according to plan?
- Seek input from residents, staff, and community members
- What’s the feeling among residents about the policy? Do they support it?
- Is there anything about the property or the residents that will make it harder or easier for the policy to succeed?
- What do you think it will take to make the policy successful?
- Host public meetings and ensure that non-smokers and smokers get a chance to share their views.
- It is crucial that you provide information about why the policy is going into effect. Providing education about the dangers of secondhand smoke helps residents understand that this is not a punitive policy, but one that can improve the health of all residents.
- Make a date for going smoke free OR for adopting new strategies (if already smoke-free).
We have identified six strategies that are key to successful implementation of smoke-free housing policies.
For each of these strategies, we provide: Quotes and insights from residents and staff; Data from our research; Practical ideas and suggestions; Links to useful resources; and downloadable information to save or share
Use the Building Success website and Implementation Guide to learn more about these strategies and how they can help with policy adoption.
This resource provides guidance to properties that are adopting a smoke-free housing policy. The Implementation Guide contains:
- Lessons endorsed from surveys and key informant interviews in the Building Success study
- Key information about the 6 implementation strategies (resident engagement, staff training, community partnerships, supporting smoking cessation, helping smokers adhere, and effective enforcement)
- Potential Action Steps to consider adding to your smoke-free policy adoption Action Plan
- The Action Plan helps you set a plan for action. Use the Action Plan document in combination with this website and the Implementation Guide to lay out a smoke-free policy implementation plan.
- Consider potential Action Steps from the Implementation Guide to add to your Action Plan to create a roadmap to successful policy adoption.
- Start by reviewing the strategies highlighted in the Implementation Guide.
- Identify a few Action Steps that you think you can take in the next few weeks in support of the smoke-free policy.
- Write the Action Steps you select down on your Action Plan
- Note the date added, identify the people who need to be involved, and set a target date for completion
- When you accomplish an Action Step, note the IMPACT on your Action Plan
- How did it go?
- Did it work?
- Is there room for improvement?
- Record any possible barriers you anticipate and try to identify ways you may be able to overcome them.
- Review your Action Plan regularly, make modifications as necessary and add NEW Action Steps. There are additional suggestions highlighted by strategy throughout the Implementation Guide. You can decide if you want to add more or less from each strategy and the timing for completion (earlier or later) that works best for your property.
- Continue to review your plan and add/modify Action Steps as needed
- The purpose of the Quit Smoking Resources Guide is to provide you and residents with information about the types of quit smoking resources that are available.
- You can tailor this guide further by adding resources that are specific to your community and property.
- You can post this resource in the community and provide it to residents who are ready to quit smoking.
- The smoke-free policy means no smoking, not no smokers. However, a smoke-free policy might provide motivation for some people to try to quit.
Consider using a secondhand smoke monitor to measure secondhand smoke by detecting ‘fine particles’ in the air. We provide an example Secondhand Smoke Monitor Tipsheet that you could use for educational purposes at your property. Developing guidance like this Tipsheet ensures that all staff know how to operate the monitor and interpret the measurements. Compare low-cost options via online vendors to find something that works for you.
Building Success Toolkit
Download the complete Building Success toolkit here: All tools