A recent proposal by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may cause all public housing properties to be smoke-free.
“Do not underestimate what this proposed rule could do for public health," American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Board Chairman Dr. Robert Wergin said.
Wergin expressed his support for the bill, saying it is a step in the right direction.
"Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- has the right to live in a smoke-free environment," Wergin said. “Despite everything we know about the dangers of smoking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that cigarette smoking causes about one in five deaths in the U.S. every year. The CDC estimates that in 2011 and 2012, about 58 million nonsmokers in the U.S. were exposed to secondhand smoke. These statistics are absolutely unacceptable. Secondhand smoke is a huge health hazard, and the idea that anyone would have to inhale it simply because of where they live is outrageous."
Wergin said the proposed rule has AAFP's backing and encouraged action.
“We need more smoke-free environments, and that’s why the American Academy of Family Physicians fully supports the proposed rule to make public housing properties smoke-free,” he said.
