| ■ More States Have Anti-Smoking Laws | 2008.05.27 |
| Between 2004 and 2007, the number of states with laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars tripled from eight to 25, and the number of states with no kind of anti-smoking law decreased from 16 to eight, says a study in the new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In every case where there was a change to an existing law, the smoking restrictions became more stringent. If the trend continues, the United States may achieve the national objective of making indoor public places and worksites smoke-free in all states by the year 2010, the study authors said. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke, which contains more than 50 carcinogens and causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults, the researchers noted. Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers. It's also been shown that smoking restrictions help smokers kick the habit. |