World Report: April 4, 2003 Vol. 8 No. 22
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
No Smoking Inside!
Last week, the state of New York decided to hang a big no smoking sign on nearly every public place. On March 26, a bill that bans smoking statewide was passed by the state legislature and immediately signed into law by Governor George Pataki. New York is the third state in the nation to crack down on public smoking with such a sweeping law. California and Delaware are the other two.
The new law stamps out smoking in just about all public businesses: restaurants, offices, bowling alleys, pool halls and others. The ban goes into effect statewide in July.
Supporters of the law say it will lead to a healthier population. According to New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, some 1,000 nonsmokers die from the effects of secondhand smoke in the Big Apple each year. To protect them, says the mayor, others must give up their habit of lighting up and puffing in public.
Some business owners are worried that the ban will keep customers away and will be hard to put into action. New York City has hired a dozen additional health inspectors to help enforce the new law. They will pay surprise visits to restaurants and bars. Any business that allows smoking can be fined up to $2,000. That would make smoking a very expensive habit, indeed.
Did You Know?
- More than 1,600 cities and towns have antismoking laws.
- About 28% of high school students smoked as of 2001. That's down from 36% in 1997.
- Fewer teens are trying smoking. In 1999, more than 70% had tried cigarettes. By 2001, less than 64% had tried it.
