After reviewing benefits and legal implications of smoke-free buildings, you will want to find out what other tenants think about a no-smoking policy. This will help develop a plan for your building. If your buildings are large, you may want to start a committee or group to help work on this issue. The committee may want to consider:
- What is the long-term vision for your policy?
- Look at past second-hand smoke related complaints since these can offer information about the type of no-smoking policy you develop.
- Ask staff and other stakeholders for input and include them in the development of the policy. This will encourage buy-in and support.
- Conduct a tenant survey to find out:
- the extent of the problem of second-hand smoke in the building (i.e. number of tenants affected);
- the number of tenants that currently don’t allow smoking inside;
- the number of tenants who smoke;
- the level of support for various no-smoking policy scenarios.
View an example of a sample cover letter and survey you could use for your building.
You could also use survey results from other sources to inform your decision.