Statement by Tim McAfee, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Office on Smoking and Health, CDC - Half of States are Protected from Secondhand Smoke: South Dakota Goes Smoke-Free in all Workplaces, Restaurants, and Bars

Today marks the half-way point in a remarkable journey for smoke-free air. At the start of the decade, there were no states in the U.S. with comprehensive smoke-free laws in workplaces, restaurants, and bars, and less than one percent of Americans were protected under such laws. Today, as South Dakota's smoke-free law goes into effect, 25 states and the District of Columbia-covering nearly 50 percent of Americans-prohibit smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars.