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Public housing to become smoke-free zones in southern Nevada

Posted at 8:48 AM, Mar 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-16 12:31:51-04

A policy affecting thousands of families will start this summer. There will be no more smoking allowed in public housing. 

A new policy was voted through last night by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, that would make public housing smoke-free zones.  

This will start July 30.  

According to a reportby the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third (33.6 percent) of people living in public housing are considered smokers. That's compared to 15 percent of the general public.

"It's just an inconvenience," says Jason Vanstory, whose dad lives in public housing. "They don't want it on the property."

There are over 5,000 people living in public housing across the valley. 

The Housing Authority says they made the decision for health reasons, and they wanted to reduce the effects of secondhand smoke.  

"Health-wise I guess it's better," says Tom Mitchell, who uses an oxygen tank. "But now you can't smoke in your own apartment, and that's wrong!"

E-cigarettes will still be allowed. Marijuana products are prohibited.  

If somebody living in public housing does want to smoke, they have to be 25 feet away from the building.