Smokefree Public Housing Initiative

In support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) rule requiring all public housing agencies (PHAs) to implement a smokefree policy by July 31, 2018, and with funding from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, the American Lung Association has helped facilitate successful implementation of the rule through the Smokefree Public Housing Initiative.

The American Lung Association has assisted public housing agencies (PHAs) through this new initiative in fostering a smooth transition in select states by sharing best practices from its many years of experience with implementing smokefree housing policies and providing quit-smoking support to residents who are ready to quit.

Through this initiative in 10 states—Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia—the American Lung Association provided public housing agencies and other low-income housing providers with technical assistance, expertise, resources and support to implement smokefree housing policies. We also provided residents with referral to proven-effective quit smoking services and of the importance of lung cancer screening for those who meet the high-risk criteria.

Take a look at our Year 1 results.

Additional Resources for Building Managers

Learn more about the connection between tobacco use and lung cancer to encourage your residents to talk to their physician about lung cancer screening.

• What you need to know about lung cancer
• What to do after a lung cancer diagnosis
• What to do when a loved one is diagnosed
• Lung Cancer Fact Sheet
• How Smoking Impacts Your Lung Health
• Saved By The Scan: Take our lung cancer risk quiz to determine eligibility for screening