US Bans Smoking in Public Housing

By Stacy Simon RESOURCES: How to Quit Smoking The US government is making public housing smoke-free. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro announced that all public housing developments will be required to implement smoke-free policies within the next 18 months. The ban includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and hookahs in all living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices, and within 25 feet of all buildings. More than 2 million people, including 760,000 children, live in more than 3,100 public housing developments in the United States. This new rule is intended to protect people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. According to HUD, second-hand smoke can travel into an apartment from other rooms in the building through doorways, cracks, electrical lines, ventilation systems, and plumbing. Opening windows, blowing fans, and running ventilation systems does not eliminate second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is harmful because it causes non-smokers, as well as smokers, to breathe in nicotine and toxic chemicals that is exhaled by smokers. Just like smoking, it causes lung cancer and is linked to other cancer types and other diseases. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Many housing agencies already ban smoking and enforce the rules through warnings, fines, and education that includes counseling and quit-smoking aids. Castro has said he is confident that public housing staff can work with residents to help them ...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Smoking/Tobacco Source Type: news