TORONTO, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Most people living in Ontario apartments, condos and co-ops say they want to live in smoke-free buildings, but supply is lagging behind demand, a survey found.
A poll by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society indicated 67 percent of Ontarians say all apartments, condos and co-ops in the province should be 100 percent smoke-free, but among young adults ages 18-34, this number rises to 83 percent.
"In Ontario, no-smoking policies are legal and enforceable in all multi-unit dwellings. However, despite this fact and significant demand, the supply of smoke-free housing in Ontario remains disproportionately low," Pippa Beck of Smoke-Free Housing Ontario and policy analyst for the Smoking and Health Action Foundation, said in a statement.
"Involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke occurs in any type of residence with shared walls, hallways or ventilation. Residents in multi-unit dwellings can be exposed to dangerous levels of tobacco smoke through cracks in fixtures, electrical outlets, pipes, vents and baseboards, as well as through shared ventilation systems and windows."
However, despite significant demand, the supply of smoke-free housing in Ontario remains disproportionately low, Beck said.
"Secondhand smoke causes a range of adverse health effects in children and non-smoking adults" Joanne Di Nardo of the Canadian Cancer Society said.
The poll of 810 Ontarians taken Nov. 16-21 has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
