The rule would require public housing agencies to implement a smoke-free policy within 18 months of the final rule in all apartments, indoor common areas and administrative office buildings. The policy also extends 25 feet outside housing and administrative buildings.
The agency said it proposed the policy for the health of residents and staff, to reduce fire risk and lower maintenance costs. According to the agency report, smoking caused 17,600 fires in homes in 2011, which resulted in nearly 500 deaths and $516 million in property damage. Beyond the tangible damage, exposure to secondhand smoke causes deadly lung cancer and heart disease in 41,000 adult nonsmokers in the U.S. annually, the report notes.
According to coverage in The New York Times, the federal government has been advocating for public housing to ban smoking for six years to protect people from secondhand smoke. However, The New York Times notes some residents welcome the ban, while others are resentful of it, saying it’s an invasion of privacy and personal choice.
However, according to the proposal, the U.S. Surgeon General has determined there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and the best way to limit its effects is by banning smoking inside buildings.
The public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposed rule.
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