Ban on Smoking

In 1975, the American Lung Association investigated the risky effects of tobacco smoke on innocent bystanders. The association’s article warned readers about the dangers in “double exposure” for the individuals’ that are not smoking (ALA, 1975). That was over 35 years ago; still in 2011 the Center for Disease Control reports that in the U.S. alone more than 38,000 people die annually from second-hand smoke. Most people are aware of the negative effects of cigarette smoking, but what about the impacts of the people inhaling this smoke. The second-hand smoke has toxic and carcinogenic effects(Lee,2004). Individuals can be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, cars, the workplace and public areas, such as bars, restaurants and recreational settings. Smoking in a separate space in the house or at work is not enough, because the toxic smoke contaminates indoor and outdoor air. Kaufman (2010) explained how the people who do not smoke but exposed to tobacco smoke at home or work have a 20-30 percent greater risk for lung cancer and 25-30 percent risk for heart disease. The debate is over and the science is clear second-hand smoke is harmful.

Public Housing

In the past, the concept of housing conditions have centered on the subject of health and safety (Hartman, 1975). Public housing has faced many trials and tribulations but demonstrated its ability to be the most resilient of the nation’s low-income housing programs. The public housing program originated in 1937, in one of the final key pieces of legislation passed during the New Deal (Schwartz, 2010). Public housing is very diverse it includes supplemental public-housing, publicly owned and subsidized apartments and Section 8 vouchers which provide 4.9 million tenants with a HUD subsidy to cover their rent. In 1994, public housing stock reached a peak goal of 1.4 million units (Schwartz, 2010). More than 7 million people live in public housing in the U.S. with 4 in 10 units occupied by families with...