Smoking Ban in MN, p2

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Minnesota is among 22 states that have passed smoke-free laws that outlaw smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The expressed intent of the law is apparent in its name -- the Freedom to Breathe Act. Health and anti-tobacco activists lobbied for it as a way to protect workers, children, and nonsmokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. But experts have long known that smoking bans not only provide a powerful inspiration for people to quit, but they also make it easier for them to succeed.

Health experts also said the ban on smoking in bars targets a special group: young adults. They smoke at nearly twice the 18 percent rate of older adults in Minnesota. Many in the 18--to-24-year-old age group say they smoke only occasionally. For many, that means they smoke when they drink.

It's too soon to say whether the ban will have an impact on smoking rates. Quitting takes months, and many attempts, experts say. Both Clearway and Blue Cross said that about a third of the people who sign up for counseling services succeed in quitting.

But Manley said that a state-wide ban could eventually reduce the smoking rate by one or two percent, depending on other factors such as cigarette taxes and marketing support for smoking cessation programs.

New York City, for example, raised the price of cigarettes, banned smoking and heavily advertised smoking cessation services all at the same time. Smoking rates there dropped 11 percent in two years, he said.

"That is the perfect storm," he said. "They did all three things at the same time."

Josephine Marcotty • 612 673 7394

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11 months, 3 Weeks, 5 days, 17 hours, 19 minutes ago

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