Tougher Smoking Policies are Coming to a City Near You.

Indiana has come a long way in understanding the dangers of secondhand smoke. Hoosiers’ attitudes toward public exposure to tobacco smoke continues to change. Over the past six years many communities have taken tougher actions to protect citizens from secondhand smoke.

• In July 2011, Delaware County became the first in Indiana to establish a countywide smoking ban that includes bars.

• Health advocates in Indianapolis are fighting to eliminate its policy exemption for bars, bowling alleys and some restaurants.

• Several months after Allen County commissioners adopted the county law, Fort Wayne enacted a tougher ordinance that closed exemptions for bars and private clubs.

• Many other states including Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina have state-
wide smoke-free air policies that include bars.

According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke kills about 3,400 non-smokers each year from lung cancer in the U.S. with an additional 69,600 deaths from heart disease. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found that the level of secondhand smoke exposure in restaurants and bars is two to five times higher than in private homes with smokers.