The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) will transition to a smoke-free policy for its public housing residents.

"Our goal is to ensure that residents have healthy, smoke-free living options," said Denisha Porter, Cincinnati Health Department Director of Health Promotion and Worksite Wellness, who is working with CMHA on the policy.

Other partners include the Creating Healthy Communities Coalition which was awarded a $100,000 grant from Interact for Health to help CMHA transition to a smoke-free policy.

A recent national study by the American Lung Association showed most apartment residents prefer smoke-free housing. It said the people who live in apartments find tobacco smoke affects not only the smoker's unit, but also infiltrates surrounding nonsmokers' units. The organization also says it's an asthma trigger.

"We do anticipate some pushback but we definitely support those who want to live in smoke-free environments and champion their rights as well," Porter says.

CMHA spokeswoman Lesley Wardlow says, "We have not done a full survey of the residents but the residents who we have talked to so far are okay with it."

Wardlow couldn't give a timetable for the smoke-free CHMA rollout but said the senior community of Baldwin Grove in Springdale would be the first to participate.

HUD is leading the charge for smoke-free housing. It published this notice in 2009 and reissued it in 2012.