WISCONSIN — It’s been 13 years since Wisconsin’s smoke-free air law kicked in. It prohibits smoking in enclosed public spaces.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Wisconsin's smoke-free air law went into effect in July 2010

  • The state has been involved in few compliance issues over the 13 years

  • Smoking rates are down around 22%, with the indoor smoking ban 

  • UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention reported fewer Wisconsinites who work in bars experience upper respiratory symptoms 

According to Danielle McCarthy, director of research at the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, smoking rates have improved since the ban.

“We’re down from about 19% in 2010 to about 15% now, so that’s about a 22% decline. And we are seeing the youth smoking rates have really dropped dramatically,” McCarthy said.

But she also noted that a decrease in young smokers has been offset by increases in use of other forms of tobacco, mostly smokeless tobacco.

The smoking rate decline has positively impacted people’s health, particularly those working in hospitality.

“We know that when you enact a kind of indoor air law like this, that you see improvements in health pretty immediately,” McCarthy said. “You see drops in emergency room visits for asthma exacerbations, for example. And we have seen here in Wisconsin that fewer people who work in bars... experience upper respiratory symptoms since the ban has gone in place.”

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Watch the full interview with McCarthy above.