Kensington Court Apartments in northeast Kansas City, Missouri, is one of 18 complexes in the Kansas City area listed in the state’s rental directory. Mark Zigman is the current property manager. He said they have 64 units filled with seniors, who are some of the most vulnerable to the effects of second hand smoke.
“It’s all 55 and over and, yeah, it is a health issue for them,“ Zigman said. “But the ban keeps the place safer. We like the fresh air, we like the healthy environment … it’s just a much better presentation.”
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, in cooperation with the Missouri chapter of the American Lung Association, recently decided to add the qualification “smoke-free” to its descriptions of rental properties in a statewide directory. The goal is to help residents find cleaner, safer living environments, and to address a disproportionately high incidence of tobacco-related illness and death in the state…