By STEPHANIE KLEIN
MyNorthwest.com

People living in apartments and condominiums in King County now have the option to set a no-smoking rule.

Dr. Bud Nicola, with the King County Board of Health, told KIRO Radio's Dori Monson on Tuesday, "The resolution encourages voluntary action by developers, by home owners associations, and by housing authorities. We think, in fact, that these folks don't know that they have a legal right to set reasonable rules about protecting the health of their residents."

Nicola reassures tobacco fans this resolution is not a ban.

He said they believe most building operators don't know they have the right to create a smoke free environment.

"We did a survey of renters in King County and we found that most of the renters, 77-percent, wanted to live in no smoking buildings. That included people renting from housing authorities. Yet only 35-percent of people live in smoke-free housing."

Nicola said the department isn't trying to meddle in people's lives, but they also want to make sure people's health is protected.