Health officials celebrate 5 years of "Smoke-Free Air" in South Dakota

Publication Date: 2015-11-17

• Author:Ronald Hawkins
• Publication:http://www.ksfy.com

It's been 5 years since South Dakota smokers were asked to extinguish the flame inside public places across the state, and health officials and business owners celebrated at Detour Bar in Downtown Sioux Falls on Tuesday morning.

After some initial opposition, the popularity of the law that bans smoking inside public places has gained popularity. "It's been evident since day one that this law has been a success", said David Benson, South Dakota government relations director for the American Cancer Society.

Some bar owners have even come around to the idea. Detour Bar owner Paul Duimstra says he loves working in his bar, now that's it's smoke-free and appreciates that neither he or his employees are being subjected to secondhand smoke. "I used to work janitorial and one thing I hated about when I'd have to go in and clean bars is walking in and the smelling the stench of stale cigarette smoke", said Duimstra. "Now when you walk into most bars, you don't smell the stench of the stale cigarettes."...