National

Maryland’s new smoke free law is a historic step for health
On April 9th, the Maryland House of Delegates passed legislation by a vote of 100-40 that would prohibit smoking in almost all public places, including restaurants, bars and workplaces. The bill will also prohibit smoking in private clubs, while allowing for an economic hardship waiver for certain businesses. Maryland’s state senate passed the bill by a vote of 31-16 on April 6th, and Governor Martin O’Malley signed the bill into law, which makes Maryland the 18th state to go smoke free. To read the full article click here or click here view the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids’ press release.

Illinois House of Representatives OKs smoking ban
The Illinois House of Representatives passed a statewide smoking ban on May 1st by a vote of 73-42. The bill would ban smoking statewide in nearly all public places, including restaurants, bars, casinos, workplaces and schools. The Illinois Senate voted to pass the bill in March, and if signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich, the ban would take effect on January 1, 2008. To read more about the ban click here, or click here for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids response by Executive Director William V. Corr.

Minnesota: Statewide smoking ban signed into law
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the “Freedom to Breathe” Act into law, which makes Minnesota the 20th state to go smoke free. The Senate voted 43-21 in favor of the bill, and the House approved the bill 81-48 in early May. The legislation will ban smoking in a variety of public places, including bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and public transportation, and leaves the option for local governments to pass stricter anti-smoking laws. The ban will go into effect on October 1, 2007. To read more, click here.

Ban on bar, tavern smoking in Oregon likely
A bill that would ban smoking in bars and taverns is likely to be considered in the Oregon legislature this year. The bill briefly fell out of favor with fiscal analysts who feared that the ban would cost the state $50 million from taxes collected on alcohol and cigarette purchases. Implementation of the ban is proposed to be delayed one year until January 1, 2009, and would contain an exemption for cigar bars. Click here to read more.

Doyle reaffirms support for statewide smoking ban in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle supports a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and taverns, but is willing to grant taverns a grace period to facilitate compliance. Earlier in the year Gov. Doyle mentioned that he did not want to exempt taverns from the ban, but now realizes that it might be necessary to ensure that the ban is passed. To read more, click here.

Texas smoking ban is diluted
The Texas House of Representatives approved a weak anti-smoking bill by a vote of 91-48 after two days of intense debate. This legislation gives small cities the option to immediately opt out, big cities the option to opt out through an election, and property owners the choice to excuse their own buildings, even in cities with bans already in place. The bill now moves on to the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle. To read more, click here.

Smoking ban fails in North Carolina House
Members of the House of Representatives in North Carolina voted 61-55 against a bill that would have banned smoking in restaurants, offices and other places of business. A number of Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the ban, citing business property rights. To read more, click here.

Tennessee Senate passes bill banning smoking in restaurants, most workplaces
The Tennessee Senate recently passed a bill that would ban smoking in the majority of enclosed public places by a vote of 22-5. The bill exempts some establishments, including nursing homes, tobacco stores and hotels. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill in the near future. To read more, click here.

Disney World to can smoking at all of its hotels
Disney World will ban smoking at all of its hotels and resorts effective June 1, 2007, while designating outdoor areas for smoking customers. The ban is in response to an increasingly large proportion of Disney customers requesting non-smoking rooms. To read more about the ban, click here.

Air Force says tobacco ban is still under review
The Air Force is in the preliminary stages of considering a tobacco ban for its service members. The ban is being considered because the service’s messages and cessation programs aren’t working, evidenced by a steady 25% tobacco use rate over the last ten years. The Air Force would like to reduce the rate to 12% by 2010. To read more about the possible ban, click here.

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International

Portugal bans smoking inside public places
Portugal’s parliament approved a law that will ban smoking in nearly all indoor places. The law also stipulates fines for violations, which will amount to 1,000 Euros for individuals and 2,500 Euros for establishments. That being said, some restaurants and bars will still be able to designate thirty percent of their space for smokers if they meet space guidelines. To read more about the ban, click here.

Vietnam: Prime Minister issues ban on smoking, sale of tobacco
Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, has issued a ban on smoking and tobacco sales in a variety of public places, including workplaces, schools, hospitals and on public transportation. The legislation also outlaws cigarette sales in vending machines and over the phone and internet. Click here to read more.

Canada: Labor Minister bans smoking rooms in federal buildings
Canadian Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn has banned smoking lounges in all federal buildings, airports and the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The ban comes after air quality tests at outside 23 smoking rooms revealed no appreciable secondhand smoke but more than 245 times the amount of fine particulate matter found outside. The ban will be phased in to these venues during the next six months, a timeline that anti-smoking activists feel is too slow considering the dangers of secondhand smoke. To read more click here.

Beijing considers ban on smoking near Olympic venues
Beijing is considering banning smoking at eight public venues during the Olympic games next year. The venues include hotels, restaurants, public transportation and the Olympic village. Violation of the ban would result in a small fine. Click here to read more.

United Kingdom bid to ban smoking in cars
The Local Authority Road Safety Officers’ Association is pressing to ban smoking in cars. In an interesting parallel to the argument against cell phone use in automobiles, the Association argues that it is dangerous for smokers to attempt to find a cigarette and lighter. The Department of Health may consider such a proposal after the countrywide ban on smoking is implemented on July 1st. Click here to read more. Nearly two-thirds of British people support such a ban. Click here to access the recent study.

Germany agrees on next step towards total smoking ban
German politicians in the lower house of parliament have approved a bill that would ban smoking in federal government buildings and on public transportation. The bill would also raise the legal age limit to purchase tobacco products from 16 to 18 years. If approved by the upper house of parliament, the bill would go into effect on September 1st. Click here to read more.

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