Smoke-free homes: ever-expanding smoking bans.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: Citings - Brief article

IN 1998, when California's ban on smoking in virtually all indoor workplaces took full effect, the idea of forcing all bars and restaurants to be smoke-free still seemed strange. Since then about 20 other states have adopted similar restrictions, including three--Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio--that did so via ballot initiatives last November. (Some of the bans exempt bars and/or gambling areas.) Now California is leading the way again with smoking bans that cover outdoor locations and even private residences.

Last year Calabasas, a Los Angeles suburb, declared itself "Clean Air Calabasas, a Smoke-Free City" as it banned smoking just about everywhere outdoors, including patio seating of bars and restaurants. Now Belmont, a town near San Francisco, has decided to make Calabasas look tolerant with an ordinance that will ban smoking everywhere except in detached, single-family homes and (possibly) cars. Since the Calabasas model already has been copied--by Santa Rosa, Dublin, and Marin County, among other...