US to ban smoking in public housing

The US government will ban smoking in public housing, said Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary Julián Castro.

The new rule will affect about 1.2 million homes. It applies only to those living in publicly owned housing, not to those who pay private rent with help from HUD subsidies. The ban will come into force on 1 January 2017, but local housing authorities have up to 18 months to comply.

Smoking is already banned in all public indoor areas in HUD housing, such as lobbies and stairways. The new rule bans cigarette, pipe, cigar, hookah, and other combustible tobacco use …