As more and more nonsmokers have come to understand the dangers associated
with breathing secondhand smoke,1,2
the number of communities enacting ordinances requiring smoke-free workplaces
and public places has increased rapidly. As of May 2001, hundreds of communities
had enacted laws requiring smoke-free workplaces, smoke-free restaurants,
and smoke-free bars. California requires all workplaces, including restaurants
and bars, to be smoke-free.3,4
The theme for the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day in 2001
was "clean indoor air" and communities throughout the world are beginning
to clear the air of secondhand smoke. Not only do the laws protect nonsmokers
from the toxins in secondhand smoke, but they also create an environment that
helps smokers cut down or stop smoking.5