There are three times as many nonsmokers in the US as smokers. Many nonsmokers stay away because they hate smoke. A Massachusetts survey showed that smoke- free laws would increase bar patronage by nonsmokers. In 1990, my adopted hometown of San Luis Obispo, Calif., became the nation's first community to ban all public indoor smoking. Nonsmokers have the right to go to any bar or restaurant in town and not be assaulted by noxious fumes.
Tourists love the smoke-free environment.
Enforcement problems are nonexistent. And the local bar and restaurant trade is booming. While California's outdoor air may be of poor quality, it's taken a dramatic step to safeguard the quality of indoor air. Other states should do the same. But in the city that celebrates sin, as of the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve you can't walk into a bar and light a smoke.