No-smoking policy posed by LHAND

LYNN – No smoking except in designated areas will be the rule sometime this fall in 10 public housing properties that are home to about 800 local residents.Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development officials are building the policy on a survey done in March showing support among residents for a no-smoking policy. About 30 percent of all residents responded and, of those who responded, 91 percent indicated they support a no-smoking policy.?The results of the survey along with residents? complaints of excessive smoke are hard to ignore. Secondhand smoke is not something someone can choose, and we have to provide a healthy environment for all of our residents,” LHAND Executive Director Charles Gaeta said.Jeff Weeden, LHAND project manager, said the smoking policy is still in development with “nothing set in stone.”He said the policy?s broad outline will be a smoking ban on LHAND properties with a plan to create designated smoking areas. Tenants violating the policy would initially face a warning, Weeden said.He said properties covered by the policy include Curwin Circle, Wall Plaza, McGee House, Meadow Court, Brickyard Village and St. Jean?s, as well as the Woodman, Caggiano Plaza, Olive Street, and Essex and Tilton streets.In a statement, LHAND acknowledged some residents oppose the policy, but noted Fire Department and health officials offered advice on a smoking ban and met with residents to discuss it.Fire Lt. Israel Gonzalez stressed the strong link between fatal fires and cigarettes.?When you fall asleep with a lit cigarette, you put all residents in your building at risk, as well as the firefighters who care about you. Let?s work together to make LHAND?s properties safer for everyone,” Gonzalez said.