National healthy homes month

Each June, National Healthy Homes Month raises awareness on housing-related health hazards and the steps to take for safe, healthy homes. This year’s theme is “Connecting Home, Health, and YOU” to highlight the important relationship between housing quality and health.

One substantial way to maintain a healthy home is to keep it smokefree, whether it’s a private home or an apartment.

There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke exposure, and the home is the main place many children and adults are exposed. Secondhand smoke can cause damage and disease in virtually every organ in the body.

Additionally, thirdhand smoke or the toxic residue that persists in the air and on surfaces such as carpeting, furniture and walls when people smoke inside can continue to harm the health of residents, particularly young children for several months. Pets also are at risk from secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

Public and private multi-unit housing facilities across Montana and the nation have moved to solve this problem by making their properties, including individual units, smokefree. The Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program offers FREE smoke free housing resources and support for residents and housing providers.

For more information, contact Karren McKinzie at 406-827-6901 or visit tobaccofree.mt.gov.

Karren McKinzie, Thompson Falls