San Francisco nixes cigarette smoking ban in apartments
A woman is shown smoking a cigarette up close in a file photo. (Photo by Kirill KukhmarTASS via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - Supervisors rejected a cigarette smoking ban in San Francisco apartments a week after approving the proposal.
The measure failed to get a second "yes" vote, usually considered a given before sending legislation on to the mayor for approval or a veto. The proposal returns to committee for further review after Supervisor Aaron Peskin said he had heard from many long-term and low-income tenants in the interim.
He said the impacts of secondhand smoke in apartment buildings are a real problem, but hopes to address the issue in a different way. The measure approved by supervisors last week carved out an exemption for marijuana smoking.
Board of Supervisors President Norman Yee, who authored the legislation, said the vote failed to prioritize the health of vulnerable community members.
“I am disappointed by the 6-5 vote at the Board of Supervisors today to send the Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing Ordinance back to committee for further discussion," Yee said.
He thanked the four fellow supervisors who voted to back his legislation, adding that everyone has the right to breathe clean air in their own home.
According to Yee, 63 other California cities have adopted smoke-free, multi-unit housing policies.
KTVU contributed to this report.