Perceptions about the Federally Mandated Smoke-Free Housing Policy among Residents Living in Public Housing in New York City

Nan Jiang, Lorna Thorpe, Sue Kaplan and Donna Shelley
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Nan Jiang: Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
Lorna Thorpe: Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
Sue Kaplan: Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
Donna Shelley: Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-8

Abstract: Background : To assess residents’ attitudes towards the United States (U.S.) Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new smoke-free public housing policy, perceptions about barriers to policy implementation, and suggestions for optimizing implementation. Methods : In 2017, we conducted 10 focus groups among 91 residents (smokers and nonsmokers) living in New York City public housing. Results : Smokers and nonsmokers expressed skepticism about the public housing authority’s capacity to enforce the policy due to widespread violations of the current smoke-free policy in common areas and pervasive use of marijuana in buildings. Most believed that resident engagement in the roll-out and providing smoking cessation services was important for compliance. Resident expressed concerns about evictions and worried that other building priorities (i.e., repairs, drug use) would be ignored with the focus now on smoke-free housing. Conclusions : Resident-endorsed strategies to optimize implementation effectiveness include improving the access to cessation services, ongoing resident engagement, education and communication to address misconceptions and concerns about enforcement, and placing smoke-free homes in a larger public housing authority healthy housing agenda.

Keywords: public housing; multiunit housing; smoke-free law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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