The United States upholds its prohibition on smoking in public housing

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a 2016 rule requiring state and local public housing agencies to prohibit smoking inside housing units and indoor common areas

as well as outside within 25 feet of those spaces, was properly enacted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Smoke Free Rule was challenged by six tenants as well as the New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment ("NYC Clash").

They claimed that by banning them from engaging in a permissible activity—using tobacco—inside the home, it inappropriately invaded their privacy and violated due process.

The court stated in his ruling that "the department fully established its justifications for the regulation and did not behave arbitrarily and capriciously in promulgating it."

A charge that the restriction unduly limited how the government spends money and contravened a clause of the U.S. Constitution limiting federal spending was also rejected by Srinivasan.

Requests for comment from HUD did not immediately receive a response.