Smoking Laws

Smoking Laws -- Preventing the exposure to passive smoking.

California's smoking laws are a testament to how the government can contribute to reducing the number of smokers and the risks of Passive Smoking.

Beginning with the $.25 excise tax on cigarette packs that Californian legislature imposed in 1989 in the form of Proposition 99, California has strived to create a smoke free environment. In 1994, a clean indoor air act was passed assuring that all workplaces would be smoke free. Bars, restaurants, and other public places were added to the clean indoor act in 1998. With those laws, Californians were guaranteed clean air wherever they went and the state saw an increase in the number of smoke free homes from 36% in 1992 to 73% in 1999. With such laws, the risks of second hand smoke greatly reduced for everybody, adult and child.

There are however, a few downsides to the anti-smoking laws. Many business owners, especially in the restaurant and bar industry, have reported sharp recessions in their business. They claim that the smoking laws have scared away their customers and as a result they have taken a big hit. Some claim that it is an infringement on rights while others just blame the state. But no matter what the bar owners may say, the fact remains that the smoking laws have contributed to cleaner atmospheres for everybody and is a major improvement in public health.