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Why 1.2 million public housing units could be smoke-free soon
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The Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed Thursday rules that would ban smoking in America's 1.2 million public housing units. According to NPR, a timetable for enforcement of the rule would be 18 months. - photo by Payton Davis
In a notable step in the government's decades-long "crackdown" on tobacco products, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed Thursday a rule to ban smoking in 1.2 million public housing units in the U.S., according to The Washington Post.

Jerry Markon and Lisa Rein reported for the Post the rule "would require more than 3,100 public housing agencies to go smoke-free within several years." The government would task those agencies with creating policies to prohibit tobacco in living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices and outdoor areas near facilities.

Concern for the health of children and the elderly in particular spurred the ban, Bill Chappell wrote for NPR.

"We have a responsibility to protect public housing resident from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, especially the elderly and children who suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases," NPR quoted HUD Secretary Julin Castro as saying. "This proposed rule will help improve the health of more than 760,000 children and help public housing agencies save $153 million every year in health care, repairs and preventable fires."

The announcement Thursday followed other federal government efforts to bar smoking in public housing, Elliot Hannon wrote for Slate.

About 20 percent of federally subsidized housing in the U.S. or more than 600 public housing agencies covering 200,000 households have voluntarily banned smoking inside, Slate noted.

Those opposed argue the move is an overreach, preventing people from doing an otherwise legal activity in their own homes, according to Slate.

"Officials say, however, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, making eliminating secondhand smoke altogether the only option," Slate's report indicated.

NBC New York reported agencies plan to "engage" residents while weighing the proposal's worth. Tenants in New York's public housing, the largest in the U.S., gave mixed reaction to the news, and one opponent told NBC New York without cessation services, enforcing the ban could just lead to evictions.

Jamila Michener, assistant professor of government at Cornell University, called the rule a "misdirection of energy," according to NBC New York.

But the move is "natural," having happened already in other venues, Michael Siegel, professor at Boston University's School of Public Health, told NBC New York.

"This is a natural step to continue to spread the smoke-free protections that started with workplaces and then spread to restaurants and bars," NBC New York quoted Siegel as saying. "Secondhand smoke is a serious threat to their health in a major way, particularly if there are children living there."

Michele Gorman wrote for Newsweek smoking rates have dropped in New York in the past 20 years, but tobacco use is most prevalent in New Yorkers with "limited education and income."

Lower rates don't mean millions aren't affected secondhand, though.

"Despite progress in implementing smoke-free laws in indoor public places and workplaces, about 58 million Americans remain exposed to secondhand smoke, including 15 million children ages 3 to 11," Newsweek's piece read.

According to Newsweek, public housing agencies would have to apply the ban no later than 18 months after its implementation.

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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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