MINNEAPOLIS, May 28, 2008—A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is a powerful trend across the country to pass strong smoke-free workplace laws that protect all workers and the public from the serious health hazards of secondhand smoke.

Michigan and Pennsylvania have the most immediate opportunities to join the growing list of smoke-free states and communities.

In Michigan, the state House should vote as soon as possible to concur with HB 4163, the comprehensive smoke-free legislation recently passed by a wide margin in the state Senate.

In Pennsylvania, a legislative conference committee should approve legislation that rejects exemptions for bars and casinos and grants local governments the authority to enact their own, stronger smoke-free laws.

According to the CDC study, published in this week's issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the number of states with strong smoke-free laws tripled and the number with no such laws was halved between 2005 and 2007.

During the study period, 18 states strengthened smoke-free protections in private sector worksites, 18 states strengthened protections in restaurants, and 12 states strengthened protections in bars (there was some overlap in these states). No state weakened smoke-free protections.

Since the study period, several more states have enacted smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars. Today, 24 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted such laws. The states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

Once these laws are fully implemented, more than 53 percent of the U.S. population will live in jurisdictions with smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars.

The CDC study can be found at www.cdc.gov/mmwr.