One-Third of NYC Families in Apartments Report Marijuana Smoke Drifting In | Research

The takeaway

About 31% of families with young children in New York City multiunit housing reported marijuana smoke entering their homes, with public housing residents more than three times as likely to be affected.

Public health policymakers, housing authorities, pediatricians

Public housing residents were 3.45x more likely to report secondhand marijuana smoke in their homes

What the researchers found

Among 382 surveyed families, 30.9% reported marijuana smoke incursions while home with their child, with NYCHA (public housing) residents 3.45 times more likely to report exposure compared to other housing types.

Why it matters

Children in multiunit housing face involuntary exposure to marijuana smoke that parents cannot easily control, raising environmental health equity concerns especially for families in public housing.

The numbers in context

382 surveys analyzed; 30.9% reported marijuana smoke incursions; 33.5% reported tobacco smoke incursions; NYCHA residents had adjusted OR of 3.45 for marijuana smoke exposure (p=0.02); two-thirds viewed marijuana smoke as harmful to their child.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional convenience sample of parents attending 4 pediatric practices in the Mount Sinai Health System (2018-2019), with anonymous questionnaires assessing housing characteristics and smoke incursions.

What this study cannot tell us

Convenience sample from one health system; self-reported smell does not confirm actual secondhand smoke exposure levels; limited to New York City.

How to read the evidence

Cross-sectional survey with adequate sample size, limited by self-report and convenience sampling from one city.

When this study was published

Data collected 2018-2019 in New York City.

The bigger picture

As marijuana legalization expands, policies addressing smoking in multiunit housing increasingly need to account for marijuana alongside tobacco to protect children from involuntary secondhand exposure.

Questions still open

Do children in housing with reported marijuana smoke incursions show detectable THC metabolites? Would building-wide smoke-free policies reduce incursion rates?

Common questions

How common is secondhand marijuana smoke in apartments?

About 31% of families surveyed reported marijuana smoke drifting into their homes, a rate similar to tobacco smoke incursions (33.5%).

Are certain housing types more affected?

Yes. Residents of NYCHA public housing were 3.45 times more likely to report marijuana smoke incursions compared to other housing types.

Read the original research

Reported Marijuana and Tobacco Smoke Incursions Among Families Living in Multiunit Housing in New York City.

Academic pediatrics, 21(4), 670-676

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sangmo, Lodoe; Liu, Bian; Elaiho, Cordelia; Boguski, Lisa; Yaker, Michael; Resnick, Micah; Malbari, Alefiyah; Wilson, Karen M. (2021). Reported Marijuana and Tobacco Smoke Incursions Among Families Living in Multiunit Housing in New York City.. Academic pediatrics, 21(4), 670-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2021.01.005