80% of Hispanic apartment residents experienced secondhand smoke infiltration, and many didn't know marijuana smoke is also harmful | Research

The takeaway

In a survey of 402 Hispanic tenants in Los Angeles apartment buildings, 80% reported secondhand smoke entering their homes, 28% did not know marijuana smoke is harmful, and 85% favored a complete building-wide smoking ban.

Read this if you live in an apartment building and want to understand the scope of secondhand smoke exposure, including marijuana smoke.

28% of residents did not know marijuana secondhand smoke is harmful

What the researchers found

Although 97% of surveyed Hispanic tenants banned smoking inside their own apartments, 80% still reported tobacco secondhand smoke (SHS) infiltrating from other units within the past year. The problem of smoke migration between units affected the vast majority despite personal smoking bans.

28% of respondents did not know that marijuana secondhand smoke (MSHS) exposure is also harmful to health. Interestingly, knowledge scores about smoke harm were higher among Spanish-speakers compared to English-dominant speakers.

85% of respondents favored a complete ban on smoking in apartment buildings, indicating strong community support for policy solutions.

Why it matters

Multi-unit housing residents, disproportionately from minority and low-income communities, face involuntary exposure to both tobacco and marijuana smoke from neighboring units. As marijuana legalization expands, addressing marijuana secondhand smoke becomes an additional dimension of residential health protection.

The numbers in context

402 Hispanic MUH tenants surveyed. 97% banned smoking in their homes. 80% reported SHS infiltration. 85% favored building-wide ban. 28% unaware marijuana smoke is harmful. Spanish-speakers had higher knowledge scores.

How the study worked

Survey of 402 Hispanic tenants in randomly selected multi-unit housing units in eastern metro Los Angeles. Assessed characteristics, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to secondhand smoke, thirdhand smoke, and marijuana smoke exposure.

What this study cannot tell us

Single geographic area (eastern LA). Hispanic tenants may not represent all MUH populations. Self-reported smoke infiltration was not verified by air quality testing. The 28% knowledge gap about marijuana smoke could reflect genuine lack of information or uncertainty about evidence.

How to read the evidence

Community-based survey with random selection of housing units. Provides useful descriptive data but limited to one geographic area and one demographic group.

When this study was published

Published in 2017. Smoke-free housing policies have expanded since, with increasing attention to marijuana smoke in legalized states.

The bigger picture

Cannabis legalization has focused on the right to use but has given less attention to the right of non-users to avoid involuntary exposure. Multi-unit housing is a critical setting where one person's use directly affects others. The high support for building-wide bans suggests residents want policy solutions to a problem they cannot solve individually.

Questions still open

Would building-wide smoking bans reduce health disparities in multi-unit housing? Are marijuana and tobacco smoke equally harmful as secondhand exposures? What communication strategies would best reach communities where marijuana smoke knowledge is lowest?

Common questions

Is marijuana secondhand smoke as dangerous as tobacco secondhand smoke?

Both contain many of the same harmful combustion products. Research on marijuana secondhand smoke is less extensive, but the 28% of respondents who were unaware of its harmfulness likely underestimate the risk. Smoke from any combusted plant material contains carcinogens and respiratory irritants.

Can apartment buildings ban marijuana smoking?

Yes. Even in states where marijuana is legal, property owners and housing authorities can prohibit smoking on their premises. The strong tenant support (85%) found in this study suggests such policies would be widely welcomed.

Read the original research

Second and Thirdhand Smoke Exposure, Attitudes and Protective Practices: Results from a Survey of Hispanic Residents in Multi-unit Housing.

Journal of immigrant and minority health, 19(5), 1148-1155

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Delgado-Rendon, Angelica; Cruz, Tess Boley; Soto, Daniel; Baezconde-Garbanati, Lourdes; Unger, Jennifer B. (2017). Second and Thirdhand Smoke Exposure, Attitudes and Protective Practices: Results from a Survey of Hispanic Residents in Multi-unit Housing.. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 19(5), 1148-1155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0540-x