Quoted Text

Sch’dy MHA should ban smoking so vet, and all, can breathe

    I recently received a call from a Schenectady public housing resident seeking relief from cigarette smoke infiltrating her apartment. This resident is a disabled veteran who served on the Critical Incident Accident Team at Ground Zero, whose lungs suffered as a result of her service and are aggravated by the smoke she smells “all the time” — in the hallways and in her unit. Because her income leaves her with few options for housing, she is essentially stuck until the Schenectady Municipal Housing Authority (SMHA) does something about it.
    Thankfully, the SMHA is beginning to consider a no-smoking policy for at least one of its seven buildings, and I urge its board members to move quickly. There are few barriers to adopting a no-smoking policy. This past July, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued an official memo that “strongly encourages Public Housing Authorities to implement non-smoking policies in some or all of their public housing units.” The reasons are simple: Cigarette smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States; secondhand smoke can cause or worsen chronic health conditions; and smoking is the top cause of fire-related deaths.
    To date, at least 114 local public housing authorities in the United States have adopted no-smoking policies for some or all of their apartment buildings. Schenectady can take this important step to ensure that all residents — especially those with fewer housing choices — have the right to breathe freely in their own homes.
    As we near the eighth anniversary of 9/11, I am reminded that for this particular resident who sacrificed her health at Ground Zero, providing her
with clean air is the least we can do for
her today.

JEANIE ORR
Niskayuna
The writer is project coordinator for the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition.