Preemptive state smoke-free indoor air laws--United States, 1999-2004.
Exposure to secondhand smoke results in approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in the United States each year. Policies establishing smoke-free environments are the most effective method for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. Restrictions on where smoking is allowed are also associated with decreased cigarette consumption and possibly with increased cessation rates among workers and the general public. Local laws often impose more stringent smoking restrictions than state laws. Preemptive legislation prohibits communities from enacting laws that are more stringent than or vary from the state law. One of the national health objectives for 2010 is to eliminate laws that preempt stronger tobacco-control laws (objective no. 27-19). In 1999, CDC published a list of states that, as of December 31, 1998, had laws that preempted stronger local smoking restrictions in one or more of three environments: government worksites, private-sector worksites, and restaurants. This report updates that list and summarizes changes in preemptive state smoke-free indoor air laws during 1999--2004 for these three environments. The findings indicate that almost no progress is being made toward the 2010 goal of eliminating all preemptive state smoke-free indoor air laws, resulting in the potential for lesser health protection.
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution