CDC predicts smoking ban in all 50 states by 2020..

ATLANTA ? By 2020, every state may have bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and the workplace, federal health officials predicted Thursday, based on the current pace of adopting anti-smoking laws.



The number of states with comprehensive indoor smoking bans went from zero in 2000 to 26 in 2010.

"It is by no means a foregone conclusion that we'll get there by 2020," said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.

But the success of the smoking ban movement has been astounding, and seems to be accelerating, he added. "I'm relatively bullish we'll at least get close to that number."

Nearly half of U.S. residents are covered by comprehensive state or local indoor smoking bans, the CDC estimated, in a new report.

Another 10 states have laws than ban smoking in workplaces, bans or restaurants, but not in all three venues.

Some other states have less restrictive laws, like requiring smoking areas with separate ventilation.
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Only seven states have no indoor smoking restrictions, although some of their cities do: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Gary Nolan, director of a smokers' rights group, said he wouldn't be surprised if the CDC's prediction came true. Public health officials and others have been putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to bar smoking, he added.

"It wouldn't surprise me if they prevailed," said Nolan, of the Smoker's Club. "It's just a little bit more liberty slipping away at the hands of big government."

Tobacco smoke is an established cause of lung cancer, heart disease and other maladies, and smoking has been called one of the nation's leading causes of death.

The science on the impact of smoking bans is younger. Because it takes years or even decades for cancers to develop, there's little information on the impact of bans on cancer rates. But studies have already charted declines in adult heart attack rates and in childhood asthma attacks after smoking bans were adopted in some communities.

The American Heart Association's chief executive, Nancy Brown, said the CDC report brings good news. But she said advocates have a lot of work ahead of them to make the 2020 prediction come true.

"It's too soon to rest on our laurels," she said, in a prepared statement.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42704643...th-addictions/

Booooo! Let the business owners decide how to run their own businesses.

I love it, if it were up to me I'd ban it altogether or tax the hell out of it. Don't see any ban on them getting up and going outside to smoke instead of puffing away in a closed space where everyone has to choke on smoke and smell like disgusting cigarettes.

Its horsesh1t. Simple as that.

If a bar owner or a restaurant owner wants to allow smoking, he should have every right in the world to decide. Patrons will know, its not as if they would be forced to sit there and inhale it, they can always leave. Not to mention all restaurants used to offer a non-smoking section, I dont see why non-smokers have to be all up smokers' business. If you dont smoke, why should it matter how much they cost?

You smell/inhale it in any closed space, doesn't have to be blown in your face or right beside you for that to happen. And if prices were that high, people wouldn't smoke as much - which means a much healthier public, which means less money spent on those smokers when everyone has to foot the bill for lung cancer and everything else on that long list of health problems tobacco costs. I don't have much sympathy for them honestly when they knowingly brought it on themselves with all the info we have these days about the health problems, it's the parents that smoke around their kids their whole life and they breathe in all that second-hand smoke is what my biggest problem is and I see a lot of those same parents act like they struggle financially(which they are) but blow their money on such a useless habit. I've seen it several times just standing in line(heard many similar stories from friends that worked as a cashier) with some "parent" fussing at a kid for picking up a little pack of chips or whatever saying "I can't afford that" when they buy 5 packs of cigs and other stuff they could easily do without(beer, lottery tickets etc). Not saying smoking makes you like that or anything, but people would cut WAY back if it were taxed much higher.

OK, trans fats should be taxed 1,000,000%; bacon should be illegal; McDonalds should be fazed out.

But this isnt about just cigarettes, its about smoking in bars/restaurants. If a bar owner wants to allow smoking in HIS private establishment, why should state law ban him from doing so?

Patrons would be aware of the situation, if they dont want to deal with smoke, dont go!

I think restuarants should be allowed to having smoking areas, but smoking, and non smoking sections should be well seperated and ventilated differently so that people who are allergic to smoke or not affected. I do not smoke, but its someones own prerogative if they chose to do so. I personally do not prefer to smell it, but I think people have the right to smoke if they want to.

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Originally Posted by Biggin

OK, trans fats should be taxed 1,000,000%; bacon should be illegal; McDonalds should be fazed out.

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Apples to oranges wouldn't you say. Eating at McDonalds affects me, and not anyone around me.

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Originally Posted by Biggin

But this isnt about just cigarettes, its about smoking in bars/restaurants. If a bar owner wants to allow smoking in HIS private establishment, why should state law ban him from doing so?

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Thats the thing, its a PUBLIC establishment when invite ANYONE to come in and buy your product. You affect other peoples health unwantingly when you smoke around them.

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Originally Posted by Biggin

Patrons would be aware of the situation, if they dont want to deal with smoke, dont go!

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The same could be said to smokers...if you want to smoke, stay at home.

But in the end im sort of on the same page with Stripes....I feel like if they have an area, which is seperate from nonsmoking, that is ventilated, im cool with it.

I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, but I have no problem with places that allow smoking. It's just another example of the government trying to protect us from ourselves.

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Originally Posted by Shooter

Apples to oranges wouldn't you say. Eating at McDonalds affects me, and not anyone around me.

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But overall, it does affect you. The increase of health problems from terrible food sends insurance premiums up, makes hospital visits longer, etc..
Its also worth mentioning that living with a smoker while being a nonsmoker increases your risk for cancer by 20%. Living with one. If living with one increases risk by 20%, the risk of getting cancer from being exposed to second hand restaurant smoke maybe three times a month is minuscule.

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Thats the thing, its a PUBLIC establishment when invite ANYONE to come in and buy your product. You affect other peoples health unwantingly when you smoke around them.

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but we are talking about privately-ran restaurants/bars. if it wasnt law, they could decide whether to allow smoking or not. If this was a school or a hospital obviously I agree, but we are talking about for-profit, privately-ran businesses.

I woulda never guessed I would hear a die hard right-winger promote liberal policies like this tho haha, kinda surprises me. Plus the fact that while secondhand smoke is harmful and can cause serious health problems, there is absolutely no link that proves a correlation between inhaling a small amount of secondhand smoke in that setting (restaurant, bar, etc..) and cancer or other diseases. Prolonged exposure has been linked to cancer and such, but theres no evidence to suggest that minor exposure to secondhand smoke every once in a while causes illness.

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The same could be said to smokers...if you want to smoke, stay at home.
But in the end im sort of on the same page with Stripes....I feel like if they have an area, which is seperate from nonsmoking, that is ventilated, im cool with it.

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How is that relevant? We are talking about places that once allowed smoking that now does not. Patrons were completely aware that some places had smoking/non smoking sections, if they were that bothered by smoke no one was forcing them to go. I see no harm in allowing a private business to allow a smoking section if there is a well ventilated, separate area that allowed non-smokers to still eat without being affected by smoke.

As pointed out above, this is another instance of the government overstepping their boundaries and forcing a certain lifestyle on people. Individual freedoms continue to fall by the wayside.