Should NYC Housing Go Smoke Free?

The New York Coalition for a Smoke Free City thinks so. Responding to story in the NY Times about banning smoking in public housing, the Executive Director of the Coalition wrote, “But many private buildings have made the choice to go smoke-free because they understand that doing so will protect the health of residents, provide economic benefit, reduce the amount of apartment fires, and because smoking is still the No. 1 cause of preventable death.”

That all sounds pretty good. Improved health and reducing the risk of fire. Then there’s the lower cost to clean apartments (and repair cigarette burn marks) when tenants move out. From a business angle, no-smoking seems like a good idea. Unless you lose customers over the issue.

And on the other side are those who see smoking as a right and attempts to legislate or restrict it in domiciles a direct attack on their freedoms.

That’s where the conversation remains. As long as there is a strong minority of smokers who advocate for permissiveness, nothing will change. With about 20% of the population (1 in 5) smoking, and some portion of the non-smokers who agree with them, there is enough political heft to keep the issue on the back burner.

Regulations on smoking may be taken out of the Mayor’s hands – at least for federally funded housing. This year, the US Congress is expected to look at legislation that would make secondhand smoke a preventable hazard and tie that into federal funds. Even without new law, the federal housing authorities could regulate against smoking. That would give states the choice of complying or not getting the money – not much of a choice when you have citizens who need housing.

In many large urban areas, smoking is already banned in publically funded housing. Cities like Detroit, Boston and others make residents go outside if they want a cigarette. It’s suspected that the disabled, or those who fear for their safety are ignoring the rules. In some buildings, smoking shelters are put up as a nod to tobacco addicted residents.

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