US to ban smoking in public housing

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK (AA) – Smoking in government-subsidized public housing complexes soon will be prohibited, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Wednesday.

HUD has requested each public housing agency (PHA) implement a smoke-free policy in the next 18 months.

The ban will prohibit the use of tobacco products in public housing living units, indoor common areas, administrative office buildings and will include all outdoor areas up to 25 feet from public housing buildings.

In addition to cigarettes; cigars, pipes, and waterpipes, or hookahs, will also be prohibited.

HUD said the new rule will improve indoor air quality, benefit the health of residents, reduce fire risks and lower overall maintenance costs.

More than 700,000 units across the U.S. are expected to be affected by the new rule, according to HUD.

The initial costs of implementing the new rule is estimated to be around $7.7 million but could be higher "given the necessity of establishing designated smoking areas", the statement read.

The new rule is expected to have its biggest effect in New York. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in the country's largest public housing agency, the New York City Housing Authority. Another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes, according to the agency.