Making all government-subsidized housing in the United States smoke-free could save nearly half a billion dollars a year in health care and housing-related costs, a new study indicates.
The total annual savings of $497 million would include $310 million in secondhand smoke-related health care, $134 million in renovation costs and $53 million in smoking-related fire losses, the CDC researchers said.
Just banning smoking in public housing either owned or operated by a government housing authority would save $153 million a year, according to the study published Oct. 2 in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.
“This important study is further evidence that smoke-free policies are a win-win. They not only protect the public’s health, but also save significant sums of money,” Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said in an agency news release.
