Health Articles > Health-wellness > Recent Smoking Bans

According to www.wikipedia.org over 50% of states are covered by a smoking ban of some form. In some states smoking is ban in restaurants and bars, in others this ban also includes hotel rooms and even patios. America is trying to tell smokers in one voice, smoking is bad, be healthy. The smoking bans are not going anywhere anytime soon more and more states are jumping on the wagon.

In 2005 Washington state imposed $100.00 fines for lighting up within 25 feet of restaurants, bars, movie complexes and other public places according to an article in USAToday. Indiana will not allow smoking at bus stops or ATMs, and in many states healthcare workers are forbidden to smoke during the work day and must sign a contract agreeing to this rule before they are hired. If found in violation of the contract, employees are fired on the spot. Other states have taken their smoking bans to another level, in Iowa even smoking in your car anywhere on the grounds with get you a fine USAToday also reports. California, who has been a pioneer in the smoking ban, also became the first state to out law smoking on all of its beaches, These trends have no where to go but up mainly due to people raising awareness among the public.

More and more research has come out about second hand smoke. Often those who are exposed to second hand smoke suffer the same health problems as smokers. Cancer, asthma, and emphysema are some of the more common problems associated with second hand smoke. The public feels an obligation to keep non-smokers healthy. The cost of health care are on the rise because of both obesity related health problems and smoking related health complications. The public has had enough.

Since California has been one of the major players in the smoking ban, they decided to take it one step further. Just when the public thought the ban couldn't get any tougher, California added the old one two and included a ban on driving while smoking with children in the car. This law passed in 2007 making it one of the most drastic in the nation according to cigarettehouse.net. It outraged smokers who feel smoking in their own car is their business, however California's govern and its lawmakers felt differently. Children should not be made to be exposed to second hand smoke.

California is one of the leaders of the new smoking ban trend. Over the years California has taken drastic measures to protect their public. Just when the public thought California couldn't get tougher on smokers, they did. In 2007, California took their non-smoking ban to a new level and started protecting children. California became one of three states to outlaw smoking while driving with a child in the car according to cigarettehouse.net. This outraged some smokers however the public and California's governor felt the safety and welfare of a child was more important than a smoker having a cigarette.

Fifty years ago smoking in public places and job sites was widely accepted. It was considered a social thing and not thought of as a dirty habit. However after seeing the effects of smoking many have chose to quit. Banning smoking is replacing the smoking socialization factor of fifty years ago, the new trend is healthy and no one should expect this new trend to go anywhere any time soon.