The effects of secondhand smoke have been known for decades; in fact, the Surgeon General warned the public of its dangers in 1972 (Schick & Glantz, 2005). Do people knowingly have the right to put the health of others at risk? No, they don't. Exposure to cigarette smoke represents a risk to public health. Therefore, smoking should be banned in all public places, nationwide. There has been no attempt to impose a national smoking ban by the United States government. All current bans are in effect due to state and local legislation. Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights lists the various state and local smoking laws that have emerged since the 1980s, and the regulations vary greatly (2010). This is extremely confusing. Some states have strict smoking bans in all public places, some states have regulations that vary from city to city, and some states have no public smoking bans at all. Some states have so many regulations that it's difficult to keep track of them all. For example, Kansas passed a statewide smoking ban in 2010, but that ban still exempts tobacconists, private clubs and casinos. Before the statewide ban, it had numerous local bans; some included all restaurants and bars, but others exempted restaurants and bars that did not accept customers under 18 (Koranda & Mann, 2010). Although nearly half of states have passed state-level bans, exemptions often render the bans useless. For example, Missouri health and welfare statutes note that people may only smoke in "designated smoking areas" in public places, but a restaurant may have up to 30 percent of its space designated as a smoking area and no smoking is required. separate ventilation (2010, Section 191.767). Areas not considered “public spaces” include “bars, taverns, restaurants with fewer than 3 seats… exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in restaurant and tavern workers in a US city. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 10(1), 36-49. Retrieved from the Academic Search Premier database. Schick, S., & Glantz, S. (2005). Scientific analysis of secondhand smoke by the tobacco industry, 1929-1972. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 7(4), 591-612. Retrieved from the Academic Search Premier database.Zdechlik, M. (2007, May 16). Governor signs statewide ban into law. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2007/05/24/news04.txt.Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights. (2010). Smokefree lists, maps and data. Retrieved from http://www.no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php?id=519Missouri Health and Welfare Statutes. Chapter 191: Section 191.767. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C100-199/1910000767.HTM