UNDATED (WSAU-WXPR) — Over the next 18 months, all 3,100 public housing agencies in the U.S. will be required to go smoke-free thanks to new rules from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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,” said Zelazoski.
Zelazoski says e-cigarettes were not included in the order, but she hopes agencies do include e-cigs in the ban as it would make enforcement easier.
She said, “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.”
According to Zelazoski, 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.
