We all know about the damaging side effects of smoking. The smoker and those around them are at risk for health problems, that’s why health officials are pushing for a ban on smoking in all public housing.
“Research shows that those living in multiple-unit housing are being exposed to toxins from tobacco smoke,” says Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH, lead author and pediatrician at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. “Even if you are not a smoker and don’t smoke inside of your own apartment, if you have a neighbor who is smoking inside of his, the entire building is contaminated.”
The recent push for smoke free living facilities has brought out people on both sides of the isle. “I can’t stand smokers, I don’t think my health should be negatively affected because someone decided to pollute their body with cigarettes,” Linda Boller said. “Smokers are people too, and you can’t just banish them to a small corner of the earth,” Joe Reader said. “They have rights too.”
Still health officials say the health of too many people is at risk if something isn’t done soon. Over 7 million people are served by public housing in the U.S., with 4 in 10 units occupied by families with children. “On July 17, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a memorandum that strongly encouraged local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to implement no-smoking policies in some or all of their public housing units,” a press release said.
“Rather than prohibiting smokers from inhabiting public housing units, prohibiting the act of smoking on the premises would minimize the ethical concerns relating to a smoking ban,” says Mello. “This type of policy would encourage smokers to quit, since only those who continued to smoke on the premises would be required to move out.”
