Where have all the ashtrays gone?

Columbia’s night life was started anew last month without the dense clouds of smoke. Patrons no longer have to search for the bar blindly or worry about gagging on nicotine fumes. On Jan. 9, an indoor smoking ban affected all public establishments. Customers are going home with clean-smelling clothes and clear eyes.

All across the nation, cities and towns are instituting smoking bans. In June 2006, the Surgeon General of the United States, Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, declared in a published report that the only way to prevent harmful secondhand smoke effects is by enforcing smoke-free environments. According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke contributes to 49,400 deaths in the United States every year.

Many cities across the country are quickly establishing smoking bans, and on the West Coast, many are banning smoking at outdoor areas, too. Pacifica, Calif., has also taken another step to ban smoking around children’s playgrounds. Although, some cities are totally clearing the air with outdoor bans, Columbia smokers don’t need to worry about quitting their habit just yet. “I haven’t heard talk of an outdoor ban,” says Heather Baer, a spokesperson for the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.

Vox takes a look at what Columbia can expect based on cities that have put the kibosh on cancer sticks.

New York City, N.Y.

Enforced: 2003

Impact: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following the enforcement of the smoking ordinance in New York City, the city’s bar and restaurant revenues increased by 8.7 percent in nine months.

Denver

Enforced: July 2006

Impact: Mayor John Hickenlooper decided that in order to level the playing field for the restaurants, surrounding communities should also participate in maintaining a smoke-free environment. Since then, various Denver news sources report that tavern owners are trying to undermine the smoking ban by claiming that they are cigar stores, which are exempt from the ban.

California

Enforced: 1998

Impact: In July 2006, the city of Pacifica passed an outdoor smoking ban on all public beaches and piers. According to the City of Pacifica Council Agenda Report, there are approximately 165 toxic chemicals in cigarette filters that can pollute the waters and wildlife habitats.

Massachusetts

Enforced: July 2004

Impact: A CDC study found that youth who live in towns with weak restaurant-smoking restrictions compared to youth who live in towns with laws making restaurants smoke-free were less likely to indulge in smoking themselves. Also, according to the spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Health, Donna Rheaume, Harvard School of Public Health found that no resounding backlash occured in Massachusett’s workplaces.