Prohibiting smoking indoors is the most efficient and cost-effective way to achieve this prerequisite. The key to this approach is to establish a building-wide policy prohibiting smoking indoors and within 25 feet of the building’s entrances, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows. These policies can be enforced through strategic placement of cigarette receptacles, signage indicating where smoking is prohibited, and passive discouragement of smoking near the building openings. Building managers, housekeeping, and security personnel should address occupants who are smoking in or near restricted areas to ensure that they are aware of the policies and the reasons for enforcement.
You can allow smoking, but it's more of a challenge
This prerequisite can be challenging for projects that permit smoking in designated smoking rooms or residential units. If you choose to designate interior smoking areas in your project, you will need to ensure that tobacco smoke does not transfer into nonsmoking areas. Doing so usually requires both well-enforced policies and costly mechanical intervention.
Consider these questions before pursuing this credit
- Where is smoking allowed? Can any of these areas be transitioned to non-smoking areas?
- Has the building designated any outdoor areas for smoking, either formally in employee manuals and/or site plans, or informally by providing butt receptacles, seating, or similar amenities? Are any of these areas within 25 feet of doors, air intakes, or operable windows? If so, can they be moved at a reasonable expense?
- Are designated outdoor smoking areas sufficiently sheltered from the elements to ensure that building occupants use them, instead of covered entrances or other locations closer to the building?
- How is the smoking policy communicated? Is it effective?
- In a multifamily residential building or a building with designated smoking rooms, what are the costs associated with the required testing?
- In a multifamily residential building, are there enough units that require testing to make it cost-effective to purchase blower-door equipment and perform the testing in-house?