People who live in council owned housing in the UK could soon be banned from smoking tobacco in their houses and provided with e-cigarettes instead.
The new plans have been proposed following a study that showed that people who live on council estates are twice as likely to smoke as those who don't, and that smoking is 'highly concentrated' in council owned areas.
This measure has been touted as a potential lifesaver by two All Party Parliamentary Groups, as well as by anti-smoking advocates and charities.
Hazel Cheeseman, from anti-smoking campaign charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: "We are not saying all new developments should be [smoke-free] but it's something that housing associations should look at.
"Their housing for nurses and doctors is already smoke-free, as is housing for students.
"Moving house is a great time to change your behaviour so you smoke outside or, better still, quit altogether."
The new report was created by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Healthy Homes and Buildings, as well as the All Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health. They claim - correctly - that smoking indoors is unhealthy for all concerned, but particularly harmful to kids.
The report claims that 'action closer to where people live' is needed to improve public health.
One of the report's co-authors, Lee Sugden, of housing association Salix Homes, said: "Smoking is disproportionately harming the communities we house and we should ask ourselves what we are doing about it."
This comes after MPs said yesterday that using e-cigarettes should be considered in the workplace. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping has suggested that employers could offer indoor spaces designated for the use of e-cigarettes as a method of improving public health.
They suggested that there should be new guidelines with regard to 'reasonable vaping etiquette' and that - unless there is a good reason - vaping should be allowed anywhere outdoors.
Cheeseman also said: "When organisations treat them the same, without being clear that e-cigarettes are a much less harmful alternative, it fuels public misunderstanding and makes it less likely that smokers will switch and protect their health.
"Whether people choose to allow vaping inside the workplace will depend on individual circumstances.
"But what is crucial is that employees understand that vaping is not as harmful as smoking and any restrictions are not about health but about courtesy in the working environment."
A report by Public Health England in 2015 found that vaping was drastically less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, others argue that more research is needed.
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