On the one hand it's pretty much unenforcable if residents do smoke in their own units, on the other it costs the complexes money in filtering and repainting smoked out apartments.

Possible smoking ban at Jeffersonville public housing units - WAVE 3 News - Louisville, Kentucky

JEFFERSONVILLE, IN (WAVE) - A southern Indiana public housing complex could snuff out smoking and that has some residents fired up.

The push comes from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jeffersonville's Public Housing Authority said it is exploring the possibility of a smoking ban inside all public housing units. That idea has some people fuming. Betty O'Neil has smoked for years.

"Ever since I was probably about 10," said O'Neil. "It's because you want that ... taste."

O'Neil said smoking is currently allowed at the Clark Arms apartments in Jeffersonville. For her, a possible smoking ban inside the building would leave a bad taste in her mouth.

"I could see if it's a restaurant," O'Neil said, "but if it's in your own home, no."

According to Phillip Bates, director of Jeffersonville's Public Housing Authority, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development "...is strongly encouraging Public Housing Authorities across the nation to implement non-smoking policies in their public housing units." Bates said they are exploring the possibility, but there are no definite plans right now.

"I think it's gonna be bad," O'Neil said, "because people are going to do what they want. no matter what. They're going to put a cigarette in their mouth, they're going to fire it up and they're going to smoke it."

Artie Oldson has lived at the Clark Arms Apartments for nearly 15 years. Oldson doesn't smoke because he lost his mother to cancer from smoking. He thinks the ban could be a good idea.

"I just support the housing authority as far as their idea of instituting a ban," said Oldson, "as long as it gives the people a designated area."

City council candidate Kelley Curran told us she is already hearing concerns from residents.

"I'll be meeting with residents, talking about writing letters to the editor, forming a resident council," Curran said. "We're doing research to see just what their rights are and who they can talk to."

According to Bates, a decision would be made only after getting input from residents. He added that he expects the Jeffersonville Public Housing Authority to discuss the possibility of a smoking ban by the end of the year.

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