Smoking ban clears air in N.C. restaurants

Publication Date: 2010-04-23

• Publication:WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)

An indoor smoking ban has resulted in an 89 percent improvement in air quality in North Carolina restaurants and bars in recent months, public health officials said Friday.

A state law that went into effect on Jan. 2 prohibits smoking at nearly all restaurants and bars. Cigar bars and private clubs are exempt from the law if they meet certain requirements.

"These results show that North Carolinians are already reaping the benefits of our smoke-free air law by breathing healthier air in restaurants and bars," State Public Health Director Dr. Jeffrey Engel said in a statement.

"Secondhand smoke is a very serious health threat. Exposing adults to secondhand smoke causes immediate adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease and, over time, lung cancer."