Ashford Club goes smoke-free
Jean Gohde hasn't had a cigarette since Dec. 5 and considers her effort to quit smoking a resounding success. The reason is a bit unusual — her apartment complex became a smoke-free residence the first of the year.
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"Through my years of smoking I have tried to give it up many, many times," said Gohde, who has lived at the Ashford Club Apartments on Thomasville Road for seven years. Rather than move out when the smoking ban took effect in the apartments and on the grounds, she opted to kick the habit.
"It did give me the incentive because I want to live here," she added.
Ashford Club notified residents in 2008, about 18 months ahead of the change, to give everyone plenty of notice. Apartment manager Connie Moore said the decision was made after a lot of soul searching on the part of the owners, considerable research and polling of residents about how to improve the complex.
"Frankly, we didn't ask them about smoking, but those who filled in the blank 'other' said, 'Gee, wouldn't it be great if you could get people to quit smoking," said Marvin Weinberger, president of the Danna Company in Philadelphia, which owns the property.
Of course, some residents decided to move out rather than adapt to the change. Moore says one tenant who stayed simply leaves the property altogether to light up.
"We lost some people," she added. "We really have." Some complained that the management was overstepping its bounds in prohibiting smoking, but she counters, "We didn't say you can't smoke. You just can't smoke here."
When one of the 102 units changes hands at the end of a lease, Weinberger said there is a vigorous cleaning of vents, air handlers an ductwork with special equipment to combat the smoking odors and residues. It's been a practice, along with repainting, that the apartment staff has done for years and it adds to the cost of operations.
Joe Scarfone, tobacco prevention specialist for Leon County, says Ashford Club is the first apartment community in Tallahassee to go smoke free. "It's something that we see as a major trend that is emerging and we are very excited about its prospects," he said.
Unlike single-family homes, apartments are in such close proximity to each other that many things — from loud music to wafting tobacco smoke — can affect one's neighbors. Scarfone says his office would like to see more apartments go smokeless.
Gohde remembers getting the notice about the ban, but not paying much attention to it at the time. Today she's glad about the decision she made.
And because of her determination, Gohde's daughter has quit, too. "She said, 'Mother, if you can do it, I can do it.' "
"I feel good about it, I feel good about myself and I believe it's going to help me healthwise," Gohde said.
Al Pasini
Guest columnist
