Jacque Petterson has been actively working since 2001 on the very serious problem of drifting tobacco smoke in apartments and condos. Her work has been in research and education, two years of which were with the Smokefree Apartment House Registry in Los Angeles, California, working under a grant through the California Department of Health Services.

Mrs. Petterson managed apartment properties from 35 units to just under 600 units in New Orleans, Brownsville and San Antonio, Texas. in the 1970s and 1980s. By the mid 1980s she had received the CAM I & II (Certified Apartment Manager) designation from the National Apartment Association.

In 2000, she and her husband sold a single family home and purchased a condominium in Canyon Country, California. After remodeling and moving in she found tobacco smoke drifting into their home from their neighbor's below. An asthmatic she lived with chronic asthma attacks daily, incurring further permanent lung damage. They were forced to move back to a single family home.

This led to a search of options available to those with health problems living in multi-unit housing, especially condos. Even after the move she continued to seek out those involved in the research and education on this problem.

After speaking at length to the tobacco consultant for the California Department of Health Services, Dr. Joanne Wellman-Benson, she was invited to the first conference on secondhand smoke issues in San Diego, CA for May 31, World No Tobacco Day, 2001.

Eventually she began working with the Smokefree Apartment House Registry in Los Angeles, under a grant through the California Department of Health Services. From 2001 to 2003, she not only immersed herself in research and education, but answered continuous calls, referred by health departments around Southern California, from residents who were extremely ill due to tobacco smoke from neighboring units.

She spoke on the subject to members of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, taught classes to apartment manager trainees at a trade school in Long Beach, CA, gave educational talks at condo association meetings, and spoke in a seminar at a state-wide Project Director's Meeting for the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section.

A great part of her research has been in the area of the law. Her husband is an attorney and former federal judge (U.S. Magistrate), and provides additional insight when needed. She has met with and educated elected officials from city councils to U.S. Senators

Legal and health research became more and more important to her as she tried to discuss the need for change to developers, apartment owners and condo associations.

States in the U.S. that are known to have funded programs on smoke-free housing are California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington (state), There is also an active funded group in Victoria, B.C., Canada.

It is exciting to bring this health education information to states where funding is not available. But, because we are not under funding from government or other grantors we are a paid service. As we wish all multi-family properties to make smoke-free housing an option for those who want or need clean safe air in their homes, our pricing will be reasonable and affordable.