Ryan BiekSmoking could soon be prohibited in public housing residences across the country, if a ban proposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development passes.
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the nation could save $153 million each year by making public housing smoke-free. (Video via WJAR)
The agency estimated a ban could cut health care costs by $94 million and renovation expenses by $43 million.
But getting the policy to pass might not be the government agency's biggest obstacle. Enforcement could be tough, considering there are more than 1 million of the rental units made available for low-income families and others who qualify.
One public housing resident told The New York Times, "You don't know what's going on in people's apartment. What are they going to do, smell your apartment?"
However, the New York Times reports more than 600 of the roughly 3,000 local housing agencies across the country have already voluntarily become smoke-free.
This video includes images from Alan L / CC BY 2.0.jpg.
