People who live in Philadelphia Housing Authority apartments — many of them children and the elderly with asthma and other lung conditions — are taking in a lot less secondhand smoke these days, researchers are reporting.
Did You Know?
This rule applies to all public housing other than dwelling units in *mixed-finance buildings. PHAs are required to establish, within 18 months of the effective date of the rule, policies disallowing the use of prohibited tobacco products in all restricted areas. PHAs may, but are not required to, further restrict smoking to outdoor dedicated smoking areas outside the restricted areas, create additional restricted areas in which smoking is prohibited (e.g., near a playground), or, alternatively, make their entire grounds smoke-free.
PHAs are required to document their smoke-free policies in their PHA plans, a process that requires resident engagement and public meetings. The proscription on the use of prohibited tobacco products must also be included in a tenant’s lease, which may be done either through an amendment process or as tenants renew their leases annually.
- –Mixed Building – A mixed building is a building in a commercial district used partly for residential use and partly for community facility or commercial use.
Costs
The costs to PHAs of implementing smoke-free policies may include training, administrative, legal, and enforcement costs. The costs of implementing a smoke-free policy are minimized by the existence of current HUD guidance on many of the topics covered by the mandatory smoke-free policy required by this rule. Already, hundreds of PHAs have voluntarily implemented smoke-free policies.
Question:
How much could posters or “No Smoking” signs cost the American people?
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Source: Philly Housing Authority’s smoking ban cuts secondhand exposure by half
