Smoking now banned in all Maryland public housing
There's no question that smoking cigarettes can be detrimental to your health.
"Americans are dying from cancer related smoking, like lung cancer," said Salisbury resident Sean Job.
And not only does smoking affect you, but second hand smoke can be a serious threat to everyone around you. That's why health officials are celebrating a new smoke-free housing rule that has gone into effect in Maryland.
"I give it a thumbs up that they should abandon it because smoking is not good for you it can kill you ," said another Salisbury resident, Jessica Woodward.
A new ordinance created by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development back in November is now banning people from smoking in or near public housing including apartments. It's an effort to combat second hand smoking and fires, and both landlords and residents in Maryland say they're happy to see this change.
"If you have a whole bunch of people that live in the same apartment that don't smoke but then there's a couple of people that do it's a bit obnoxious for the people that don't. It's just a whole lot healthier for everybody involved," said Snow Hill resident Gabe Resto.
"We definitely love seeing that this rule has been passed and is going to affect a little bit more of the area that way we can offer something that is a little bit more beneficial to not only the environment but our health as well," said Salisbury Apartments marketing and leasing manager Megan McAluiff.
The smoke-free policy also extends to outdoor areas requiring those who smoke to be 25 feet away from all public housing and administrative office buildings.
"By making the people who do smoke go about 25 feet away, that makes sense and it makes the whole living space a whole lot happier and easier for people to live in," said Resto.
Officials add that this new rule means protection for more than 25 thousand residents in local public housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also says the new rule will be a part of resident leases which means tenants who break the agreement could potentially be evicted.
