Ten years later, smoking ban pays for state

Today Delaware celebrates the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Clean Indoor Air Act. In 2002, when Gov. Ruth Ann Minner signed Senate Bill 99, Delaware became the second state, after California, to pass a law against smoking in indoor workplaces and public places. Since then, 27 states and the District of Columbia have enacted clean indoor air laws covering bars and restaurants. SB 99, sponsored by Sen. David McBride and Sen. Patricia Blevins with Rep. Deborah Hudson and several co-sponsors, banned indoor smoking at health care facilities, public and non-public schools, restaurants, bars, libraries, museums, theaters, auditoriums, casinos, 75 percent of hotel rooms and other public places such as restrooms, hallways and lobbies. Ten years later, the law remains untouched, respected by health-conscious Delawareans and visitors. Earlier this year, Gov. Jack Markell said all state agency campuses would be smoke-free.
The Clean Indoor Air Act was truly a landmark law; part of a model comprehensive approach to tobacco prevention and control – something Delaware Health and Social Services calls a population-based approach. Another population-based approach was the Delaware General Assembly approving cigarette excise tax increases in 2003, 2007 and 2009, bringing the total tax to $1.60 per pack. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Delaware and the United States. An estimated 443,000 adults nationwide die from smoking-related illnesses each year, according to the 2010 U.S. Surgeon General’s report. Every year, smoking costs the United States an estimated $96 billion in direct medical expenses and $97 billion in lost productivity, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who use tobacco or are exposed to it are at high risk for developing several types of cancers, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses. Babies whose mothers were around secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have lower birth weights, and children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to have lung problems, ear infections and severe asthma.