The projection is based on the rate at which states have been adopting comprehensive smoke-free laws. In the past 10 years, 25 states and the District of Columbia have enacted these laws, the CDC report said.
The study, published in last week's Morbidity & [image-nocss] Mortality Weekly Report, lists the smoke-free status of every state and the District of Columbia (see map). In addition to listing the states with comprehensive smoke-free laws and years they went into effect, the report also lists the 10 states that have laws prohibiting smoking in one or two--but not all three--of the venues included in the study. It also identifies eight states that have less restrictive laws, such as those allowing smoking in designated areas or areas with separate ventilation.
The study details the seven states that have no statewide smoking restrictions in place for private worksites, restaurants or bars: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The number of states with comprehensive smoke-free laws in effect increased from zero on December 31, 2000, to 26 states on December 31, 2010. In 2002, Delaware became the first state to implement a comprehensive smoke-free law, followed by New York in 2003, Massachusetts in 2004, and Rhode Island and Washington in 2005. In 2006, comprehensive smoke-free laws went into effect in Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Ohio, followed by Arizona, D.C., Minnesota and New Mexico in 2007; Illinois, Iowa and Maryland in 2008; Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah and Vermont in 2009; and Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Wisconsin in 2010.
The years listed are the years in which the laws took effect; in some cases the laws were enacted in a preceding year. Some state laws were expanded gradually or phased in; in these cases, the year provided is the year when the law first applied to all three of the settings considered in this study. Additionally, while most of these laws were enacted through the state legislative process, Arizona, Ohio, South Dakota and Washington enacted their laws through ballot measures.
As of December 31, 2010, in addition to the 26 states with comprehensive smoke-free laws, 10 states had enacted laws that prohibit smoking in one or two, but not all three, of the venues included in this study. Additionally, eight states had passed less restrictive laws (e.g., laws allowing smoking in designated areas or areas with separate ventilation). Finally, seven states have no statewide smoking restrictions in place for private worksites, restaurants, or bars. Of note, only three southern states (Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina) have laws that prohibit smoking in any two of the three venues examined in this report, and no southern state has a comprehensive state smoke-free law in effect.
The CDC considers a state smoke-free law to be comprehensive if it prohibits smoking in the three venues. Some states have enacted laws with less stringent smoking restrictions (e.g., provisions restricting smoking to designated areas or to separately ventilated areas); however, these laws are not effective in eliminating secondhand smoke exposure, it said.
Click hereto view the full report, including a list of states and the types of smoke-free laws in each state.
Andclick here for more detailed, specific information on state smoke-free laws at the CDC's State Tobacco Activities Tracking & Evaluation System website.
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