Montco Housing Authority Bans Smoking In County Owned Properties
MONTGOMERY COUNTY (CBS) -- The Montgomery County housing authority is banning smoking in all units it owns and operates.
Smoking in common areas in county housing authority properties has been banned since 2009, now the agency is banning smoking inside units.
County housing authority executive director Joel Johnson says several reasons for the ban, like health concerns or saving in cleaning costs when a smoker moves out of a unit.
"we get an enormous amount of complaints on a regular basis about non-smokers living in proximity to smokers," Johnson said.
County commissioner Val Arkoosh says residents of housing high-rise in Pottstown complained to her, explaining all the units share a ventilation system.
"And so even if someone was smoking several floors away, they would still get smoke that would train into their living unit," Arkoosh said.
Johnson says about 30-percent of public housing residents are smokers. The ban goes into effect July 1st.
