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Smokefree laws have a long and successful history. Twenty years ago, hundreds of US cities and counties were passing smoking ordinances and Congress adopted the airline smoking ban. By 1993, there were already 543 local ordinances in effect in the United States, but most of them were weaker and less comprehensive than those adopted today.1 The few statewide Clean Indoor Air Laws were generally even weaker than local ordinances, and a number of states preempted local smoking laws without adopting adequate protections for nonsmokers in workplaces or public places.
As of January 2009, there were 2,982 local smoking ordinances in place in the US, of which 331 eliminate smoking completely in workplaces, restaurants, and bars.2 The most impressive progress has occurred at the state level. There are currently 30 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, which have adopted smokefree laws covering at least restaurants, workplaces, or bars. Fifteen of these cover all three areas.
In the past, most local smoking ordinances were considered "self-enforcing" and the vast majority of businesses and smokers complied with a law's provisions without an extensive public education or enforcement campaign. While most business owners and smokers still readily comply with smokefree laws, a comprehensive implementation plan, including well-drafted regulations, can anticipate and address any potential problems.
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