An Overview of Smoking Laws in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently assessed indoor smoking laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and found that, while 26 states have passed comprehensive indoor smoking bans (more on constitutes “comprehensive” in a minute), the United States on the whole fell far short of the goal set by the agency in 2000.
The CDC considers a smoking ban “comprehensive” when it is applied statewide and covers the indoor areas of worksites, restaurants, and bars. In 2000, the CDC called for the implementation of comprehensive indoor smoking bans in all 50 states and D.C. A decade later, the agency is renewing its call for the holdout states – looking at you, Alaska – to complete the goal by 2020. (More information on this here.)
| State | Date Passed |
| Delaware | 12.1.2002 |
| New York | 7.24.2003 |
| Massachusetts | 7.5.2004 |
| Rhode Island | 3.1.2005 |
| Washington | 12.8.2005 |
| New Jersey | 4.15.2006 |
| Colorado | 7.1.2006 |
| Hawaii | 11.16.2006 |
| Ohio | 12.7.2006 |
| District of Columbia | 1.1.2007 |
| Arizona | 5.1.2007 |
| New Mexico | 6.15.2007 |
| Minnesota | 10.1.2007 |
| Illinois | 1.1.2008 |
| Maryland | 2.1.2008 |
| Iowa | 7.1.2008 |
| Oregon | 1.1.2009 |
| Utah | 1.1.2009 |
| Nebraska | 6.1.2009 |
| Vermont | 7.1.2009 |
| Maine | 9.11.2009 |
| Montana | 10.1.2009 |
| Michigan | 5.1.2010 |
| Kansas | 7.1.2010 |
| Wisconsin | 7.5.2010 |
| South Dakota | 11.10.2010 |
The remaining states have a patchwork of laws that are usually applied locally:
| State | Worksites | Restaurants | Bars |
| Smoke-free in two places | |||
| Florida | Smoke-free | Smoke-free | ... |
| Louisiana | Smoke-free | Smoke-free | ... |
| Nevada | Smoke-free | Smoke-free | ... |
| North Carolina | ... | Smoke-free | Smoke-free |
| Smoke-free in one place | |||
| Arkansas | Smoke-free | Designated* | ... |
| Idaho | Designated | Smoke-free | ... |
| New Hampshire | Designated | Smoke-free | ... |
| North Dakota | Smoke-free | Designated | ... |
| Pennsylvania | Smoke-free | Ventilated | ... |
| Tennessee | Smoke-free | Designated* | ... |
| Other restrictions | |||
| Alabama | Designated | ... | ... |
| Alaska | ... | Designated | ... |
| California | Ventilated | Ventilated | Ventilated |
| Connecticut | Ventilated | Ventilated | Ventilated |
| Georgia | Designated | Designated* | Designated* |
| Missouri | Designated | Designated | Designated |
| Oklahoma | Designated | Ventilated | ... |
| Virginia | ... | Ventilated | Ventilated |
| No restrictions | |||
| Indiana | ... | ... | ... |
| Kentucky | ... | ... | ... |
| Mississippi | ... | ... | ... |
| South Carolina | ... | ... | ... |
| Texas | ... | ... | ... |
| West Virginia | ... | ... | ... |
| Wyoming | ... | ... | ... |
| *State law allows smoking in venues that prohibit minors. | |||
For more detailed information regarding tobacco use state-by-state, check out the CDC’s excellent State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System.