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Support Clean Indoor Air Laws

Description of Strategy

Clean indoor air laws are comprised of smoking bans and restrictions. These laws prohibit smoking in geographically defined areas such as enclosed workplaces, public places, bars, and/or restaurants (Guide to Community Preventive Services, 2000). Laws prohibiting smoking in confined spaces have been gaining strength since the 1970s when the first bans on indoor smoking were enacted. By 2003, municipalities in every state had enacted policies limiting or banning smoking in certain locations, including some outdoor spaces.

Wyoming does not have a statewide ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces, but 25 communities have enacted some form of smoking ban policy (American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, 2017).

Also known as...

social action on secondhand smoke, target a business to go smoke-free

Discussion of Effectiveness

Tobacco

Evidence suggests clean indoor air laws are an effective strategy for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke (The Community Guide, 2012; University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute; 2016). Indoor air laws improve health by reducing coronary events, asthma attacks, and hospitalizations (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute; 2016). Home bans were found to be more effective at reducing teenage smoking initiation than either public or school bans (Wakefield, 2000).
A study (Eriksen & Chaloupka, 2007) and a systematic review (The Community Guide, 2012) determined smoke-free policies also reduce the prevalence of tobacco use, increase the number of tobacco users who quit, reduce youth tobacco initiation, and tobacco-related morbidity.

References

Strategy Description

American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (2017). Wyoming. Retrieved December 6, 2017.

Guide to Community Preventive Services. (2000). Reducing secondhand smoke exposure: Smoking bans and restrictions. Retrieved July 30, 2012.

Evidence Base

Eriksen, M., & Chaloupka, F. (2007). The economic impact of clean indoor air laws. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 57(6), 367–378. doi:10.3322/CA.57.6.367

The Community Guide, Community Preventive Services Task Force. Retrieved December 6, 2017.

University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (2016). Smoke-free policies for indoor areas. Retrieved December 6, 2017.

Wakefield, M. A. (2000). Effect of restrictions on smoking at home, at school, and in public places on teenage smoking: Cross sectional study. British Medical Journal, 321(7257), 333–337. doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7257.333

Futher Reading

Eriksen, M. P., & Cerak, R. L. (2008). The diffusion and impact of clean indoor air laws. Annual Review of Public Health, 29(1), 171–185. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090920