By MIKE STOBBE
updated 1 hour 32 minutes ago
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.
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
CDC: Smoking may be banned in all states by 2020
Only 7 states currently have no indoor smoking restrictions
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