State law stymies cities' efforts to curb smoking

Publication Date: 2012-11-26

• Publication:The Lawton Constitution

Oklahoma City and Tulsa are among six of the largest cities in the United States that have weak laws regarding secondhand smoke in public places, according to a recent federal government report released. Meanwhile, 30 of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. have provisions that prohibit smoking in any indoor area, including private workplaces, restaurants and bars, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released this week. "Hundreds of cities and counties have passed their own smoke-free laws, including many communities in the South," Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement. "If we continue to progress as we have since 2000, all Americans could be protected from secondhand smoke exposure in workplaces and public places by 2020." State and city leaders say the main reason Oklahoma City and Tulsa do not have their own secondhand smoke ordinances is because they're not allowed to. …