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Public Housing Must Go Smoke Free by 2018

PIXABAY

Over the next 18 months, all 3,100 public housing agencies in the U.S. will be required to go smoke-free.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development released new rules late last month.

Oneida County Community Health Specialist Corie Zelazoski says the rule requires agencies enact smoke-free policies applying to all living units, indoor common areas, offices and within 25 feet of buildings...

"....this is going to protect the vulnerable public living in these units. We find that low income residents are smoking at a much higher rate which means there are people being exposed to second to second hand smoke at a higher rate as well...."

Zelazoski says about a third of people with an income under $25,000 are smokers, and one in five high school students are exposed to second-hand smoke More than 2 million people live in public housing, including 750,000 children.

Zelazoski says e-cigarettes were not included in the order. She hopes agencies include e-cigs in the ban as it would make enforcement easier...

"....if you have an individual using an e-cigarette versus a traditional cigarette or tobacco in your complexes, it might be hard to differentiate between the two. Enforcement becomes much easier if you include the two...."

She says one additional plus is that cleaning and maintenance is much easier in housing units where people don't smoke.

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