WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 12, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a proposed rule that would require more than 3,100 public housing agencies across the country to implement smoke-free policies in their developments. The rule would prohibit lit tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars or pipes) in all living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices and all outdoor areas within 25 feet of housing and administrative office buildings.
“Secretary Castro has taken an important step to improve public health by eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke and creating an environment that discourages smoking in public housing units,” said Chris Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “Affordable and healthy housing should not be mutually exclusive and this proposed rule helps to ensure that residents in public housing can breathe smoke-free air where they live.”
Cigarette smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and an estimated 41,000 deaths are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke in the U.S each year. The proposed rule is expected to help improve the health of more than 760,000 children and help public housing agencies save $153 million every year in repairs and preventable fires.
Nationally, more than 2 million U.S. residents live in public housing. Through HUD’s voluntary policy and local initiatives, more than 228,000 public housing units are already smoke-free. The proposed smoke-free rule would expand the impact to more 940,000 public housing units.
“In addition to protecting non-smokers, smoke-free public housing policies would encourage smokers living in affected properties to quit smoking,” Hansen said. “To truly realize the potential health benefits of smoke-free public housing policies, residents who want to quit must have access to affordable and comprehensive cessation services through private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.”
ACS CAN continues to advocate for comprehensive smoke-free laws that cover workplaces, restaurants, bars, and gaming facilities. Together with tobacco taxes and access to cessation services, these interventions are proven to be the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, which ultimately reduces death and suffering from tobacco-related diseases.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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