4 of 5 Kentuckians think child obesity is a problem, and more than half favor a statewide smoking ban, poll finds

More than four out of five Kentuckians think too many children are overweight, and more than half want a statewide smoking ban. These are two of key findings of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which also asked respondents about prescription drug abuse, depression and access to health care.

Poll findings are available by clicking here. Findings have been broken down by region: Western Kentucky, greater Louisville, greater Lexington area, Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.

Statewide, the poll found 54 percent of Kentuckians favor a statewide smoking ban, up from 53 percent the year before. In 2010, Kentuckians were split down the middle, 48 percent to 48 percent.

A whopping 84 percent of Kentuckians feel childhood obesity is a problem, which is timely since 33 percent of children, 60 percent of women and 80 percent of men in Kentucky are overweight or obese, "Shaping Kentucky's Future: A Community Guide to Reducing Obesity" reports.

The poll also found more than one in three Kentuckians know someone who has misused prescription drugs; 65 percent of adults dispose of their prescription drugs in an unsafe way; nearly half keep guns in their homes; and 1 in 2 Kentuckians have a family member or friend with a serious problem of depression. Nearly 90 percent of people asked favor providing access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans.

"The Kentucky Health Issues Poll provides an excellent snapshot of how various health related issues are viewed throughout the commonwealth," said Dr. Susan Zepeda, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which helped fund the poll. "The survey's methodology lets us compare responses and learn about regional differences in Kentucky views about health."

The poll was also funded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. It was conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 27 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of adults across Kentucky were interviewed, including 1,313 landline interviews and 308 cell-phone interviews.

Floyd County woman is Kentucky's smoke-free advocate of year

For her work spreading the word about second-hand smoke and founding the coalition that ultimately helped Prestonsburg pass a smoke-free ordinance in 2009, Floyd County's Jean V. Rosenberg was named 2012 advocate of the year at the annual Smoke-Free Policy Conference hosted by the University of Kentucky's Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy. She stands with center Director Dr. Ellen Hahn, left, and Dr. Melissa Walton-Shirley, right, the Glasgow cardiologist who won in 2011.

Rosenberg started her work in 2005 when she began working for the Floyd County Health Department as a program specialist to increase awareness about the dangers of second-hand smoke, reports Ann Blackford reports in a university press release. During that time, she founded the Breathe Easy Floyd County Coalition, which educated people about second-hand smoke and supported local smoke-free initiatives.

On Nov. 1, 2009, the City of Prestonsburg implemented a 100 percent smoke-free ordinance in all workplaces and enclosed public places, with Rosenberg at the helm to propel the effort forward. (Read more)

Mayor will propose smoking ban in Hopkinsville, largest Kentucky city without one

The largest Kentucky city that has not banned smoking in public places may change that.

Hopkinsville Mayor Dan Kemp's proposal "fundamentally resembles Lexington's ban," reports Nick Tabor for the Kentucky New Era. The law would apply to bars and restaurants but not private clubs; retail tobacco stores and tobacco warehouses; and rented rooms in hotels, hospitals and nursing homes. "The best thing would be to have no exemptions," Kemp said, adding that he recognizes the need for compromise. 

An online survey by the Christian County Health Department two years ago indicated strong support for a ban. A recent, scientific survey of 500 Kentuckians shows 59 percent support a statewide ban, the American Cancer Society found. Kemp said he has "received a mostly positive response from local businesses," Tabor reports.

As for a smoking ban imposing on a person's right to light up, Kemp said, "I just think it's such an overriding health concern that that trumps the individual rights argument." Kemp hopes the council will vote on the proposal June 5. If they ratify it, the ban could take effect July 1. (Read more)

Smoking ban bill clears House committee for first time; but sponsor says she won't take it farther this session

A measure for a statewide smoking ban passed the House Health and Welfare Committee today, the first time such a bill has cleared committee in legislative history, Deborah Yetter reports for The Courier-Journal.

But House Bill 289 is not expected to be called for a vote this year, said its sponsor Rep. Susan Westrom, right, D-Lexington. "I'm not someone who wants to shove something down someone's throat," she said, adding she plans to reintroduce the measure next year.

Westrom predicts support will continue to grow as "people come to realize local smoking bans have worked well in cities, including Louisville, Lexington and Owensboro. Already, 23 states ban smoking statewide in indoor public spaces," Yetter reports.

Support for the bill was given a significant boost when the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce stepped behind it. President David Adkisson said the majority of business owners the chamber talked to support a ban. "We now feel like it needs to be statewide and not a patchwork," he said.

HB 289 passed with a 10-2 vote. Rep. Addia Wuchner, R-Burlington, a candidate for Congress in the Fourth District, was one of two Republicans to vote against the measure, calling it "well meaning" but too intrusive on people's rights. "It is not the role of the government to go this far," she said. (Read more)

Smoking ban can't get a vote due to Republican boycott over chairman's block of measure for drug tests for welfare recipients

There could have been a vote Thursday on a bill for a statewide smoking ban, but a Republican boycott of the Democratic-controlled House Health and Welfare Committee over another bill prevented that.

"Republicans were upset over the committee chairman's decision not to have a vote on House Bill 26, sponsored by Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, which would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to implement a substance-abuse screening program for recipients of public assistance," reports Greg Hall for The Courier-Journal.

Chairman Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said he didn't allow a vote because he didn't want to "embarrass" Napier. "Whether he admits it or not, you don't embarrass somebody by killing their bill in front of them," he said. "You just hear it."

Just eight of 16 committee members were present; at least nine are needed to move a bill. Six of the absentees were Republicans; two were Democrats. "Without a committee majority present, no vote was take on HB 289, the smoking ban sponsored by Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington. Burch said he likely will call a special committee meeting early next week to hear the bill," Hall reports. (Read more)

In 11-1 vote, Somerset passes comprehensive smoking ban

Lighting up in Somerset, once a big tobacco town, will no longer be allowed in all enclosed public places. The city council voted 11-1 Monday evening to pass a smoking-ban ordinance, reports Heather Tomlinson of the Commonwealth Journal. (C-J photo)

The ordinance includes restaurants, bingo halls, gaming facilities, nursing homes and any place of employment. "It's a public health safety issue," said councilor Jerry Girdler, who lost his well-known brother Eddie two weeks ago to throat and lung cancer. "The facts back up that smoking is harmful to the people around them."

The meeting attracted a crowd of more than 50, many of whom voiced their opinions. Business owner Teresa Singleton said, "I am really shocked at the fact that the City of Somerset is considering taking away the rights of businesses to make those decisions on whether we want our place of business to be smoking or non-smoking. For you to take that on your own, I think that's a major step in the wrong direction."

Local podiatrist Pamela Jensen-Stanley disagreed. "I believe the ban is necessary," she said. "I think it's time that Somerset moves up and gets with the program." (Read more)

Hopkinsville newspaper endorses smoking ban

The Kentucky New Era newspaper in Hopkinsville said in a recent editorial that if the state legislature doesn't enact a smoking ban, the city should.

The General Assembly "should not squander the opportunity or delay action on a law that could protect everyone against the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke," the editorial said. "Legislators should not disregard the overwhelming scientific evidence of the effects of secondhand smoke. . . . Opponents of a smoking ban argue that they want to protect the rights of smokers. We believe those rights to not extend to smoking in places where non-smokers work, shop and eat." (Read more)

Discussion on statewide smoking ban to air on KET Monday at 8

The possibility of a statewide smoking ban will be discussed on Kentucky Educational Television's "Kentucky Tonight" Monday.

The guests will be state Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington; Rep. Mike Harmon, R-Junction City; Amy Barkley, tobacco-state and Mid-Atlantic officer for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids; and Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions.

Westrom has already said she plans to re-introduce a bill that would ban smoking in indoor public places and work facilities this upcoming legislative session. She introduced the bill last year as well, but told cn|2's "Pure Politics" it was more of a trial run to "educate" other legislators.

The results of a poll released this week show just over half of Kentuckians would support a statewide law that would ban smoking in most public places, including restaurants and bars. Just under 53 percent said they were in favor of such a law, and another 1 percent said they lean toward favoring it. Only 40.5 percent opposed the idea, with 2 percent leaning against it. Four percent had no opinion.

The show airs at 8/7 p.m. CST Monday on KET. Kentucky viewers with questions can send e-mail, including their name and town or county, to kytonight@ket.org. The phone number for viewer calls during the program is 1-800-494-7605. Viewers can also submit questions on Twitter to @BillKET or #kytonight, or on KET's Facebook page.

Most Kentuckians now favor statewide smoking ban, poll finds

Graph shows results by smoking history, party

Just over half of Kentuckians support a statewide law that would ban smoking in most public places, including restaurants and bars, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll has found.

Just under 53 percent said they were in favor of such a law, and another 1 percent said they lean toward favoring it. Only 40.5 percent opposed the idea, with 2 percent leaning against it. Four percent had no opinion.

Including leaners, the law was favored by 53.7 percent to 42.5 percent, a double-digit margin. Last year, Kentuckians were split down the middle, 48 percent to 48 percent. The poll's error margin is plus or minus 2.44 percentage points, meaning that each figure could vary that much from actual public opinion in 19 of 20 cases. It could vary more in one out of 20.

The poll was released yesterday by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. It asked 1,614 Kentuckians, "Would you favor or oppose a state law in Kentucky that would prohibit smoking in most public places, including workplaces, public buildings, offices, restaurants and bars?" The detailed results were: 40.9 percent favored strongly, 11.8 percent favored somewhat, 11.5 percent opposed somewhat and 29 percent opposed strongly.

Despite those strong views, there was again no split along party lines; 55 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of Republicans were supportive of a ban and independents were slightly less so. As was the case last year, respondents who are registered to vote were more likely to support a smoke-free law, with six in 10 in favor.

Respondents in the Lexington area showed the strongest level of support, with nearly 57 percent of people living there either strongly or somewhat in favor of passing a statewide ban.

Interestingly, respondents living in Appalachian Kentucky — which historically has very high smoking rates — also expressed strong support, with 53.4 percent in favor, plus or minus 4.96 percentage points. (The poll groups counties by area development districts; Appalachian Kentucky was defined as counties in ADDs that are mainly Appalachian, in green on the map.)

Despite Campbell County overturning its smoking ban earlier this year and controversy surrounding the ban in Kenton County, which is the only county in the region with a ban, respondents in Northern Kentucky showed the third highest level of support for a statewide law, with 52.9 percent in favor. The error margin for that small sample of 152 was plus or minus 7.95 percentage points.

In Louisville, 52.4 percent favored the law, plus or minus 5.26 percentage points. Western Kentucky had the lowest level of support, with 49.5 percent in favor and 47.1 percent opposed, plus or minus 4.63 percentage points. The poll included the Lincoln Trail Area Development District, generally recognized as part of the Louisville region, as part of Western Kentucky.

The issue is most strongly supported by non-smokers. Of respondents who have never smoked, 3 in 4 are in favor of a smoke-free law. Fifty-seven percent of respondents who are former smokers were in favor. When it came to smokers, just 3 in 10 support a law. For tables showing the detailed poll results, click here.

The poll, which was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, was conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 27 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,614 adults across Kentucky were interviewed, including 1,313 landline interviews and 308 cell-phone interviews. For more from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, click here.

Corbin City Commission enacts smoking ban

The Corbin City Commission passed an ordinance this week to ban smoking in all enclosed public areas and enclosed public buildings. The ordinance will also require smokers to remain at least 25 feet from building entrances. Areas subject to the ban include bingo parlors, restaurants except for outdoor seating, and motels and hotels, "which may not offer more than 20 percent of rooms as smoking," Dean Manning of The News Journal reported. "Once the ordinance is advertised, it will become law," Becky Kilian of The Times-Tribune reports.

Poll finds Kentucky has the highest smoking rate in the country; a statewide ban would reduce it, advocates say

Kentucky has the highest smoking rate in the country, with 29 percent of people surveyed by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index answering "yes" to the question, "Do you smoke?" (United Press International photo by Alexis G. Glenn)

Kentucky's number is 8 percentage points higher than the national average, which remains unchanged from 2008. Utah had the lowest rate, 11 percent. The survey included answers collected from 1,000 Americans from January to June.

Smoking rates remain highest in the South and Midwest. "The findings suggested government smoking bans were effective," United Press International reports. "There were no bans on smoking in bars in all but one of the states where rates are 25 percent or higher and no bans on smoking in restaurants in all but two." (Read more)

In an op-ed piece in Monday's Lexington Herald-Leader, public health advocate Joan Buchar of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky asks the upcoming General Assembly to pass a statewide ban, and lists the benefits: Teens and preteens are less likely to begin smoking because they see fewer adults smoking. There are fewer visits to the emergency room for heart attacks in communities with comprehensive bans. And businesses are attracted to areas where bans are in effect, Buchar writes.

"Kentucky is known for its hospitality and beautiful places," she writes. "We can be known, too, as a beautiful and healthful place to live. Twenty years from now, our children will thank us for taking this bold step today." (Read more)

Race for city commission seat puts an end to debate over city's smoking ban, advocate and opponent agree

The Bowling Green City Commission candidate who said he wanted to rewrite the city's smoking ban ran last in the five-way race for an unexpired term on the commission Tuesday, and he and a commissioner in the 3-2 majority that enacted the ban said the result is an indicator of public opinion on the issue.

Candidate Bill Goodwin got only 682 votes, or 8.6 percent of the total. "Commissioner Brian 'Slim' Nash said he believes voters sent a message in Tuesday’s election: Citizens are satisfied with the city’s smoking ban," Andrew Robinson of the Daily News reports. "Goodwin said he spoke to a few citizens who told him the result is a clear sign there’s little support for revisiting the ordinance."

“The people spoke or the people didn’t show up,” Goodwin told the  newspaper. “It’s got to be an issue that’s dead right now. That’s all there is to it.” (Read more)

Statewide smoking ban bill will be filed again; gubernatorial candidates say it's not necessary at this point

For the second year, a bill that would ban smoking in all public places statewide will be filed and considered by the General Assembly. State Rep. Susan Westrom, left, who proposed a ban last year, outlined her plan Wednesday.

Westrom's proposal, which she presented to the Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, would ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, restaurants, bars and other public places in Kentucky.

Last week, gubernatorial candidates Democrat Steve Beshear, Republican David Williams and independent Gatewood Galbraith all said they did not feel a statewide smoking ban was necessary at this time and that bans should be handled at the local level. That's a change for Williams, who had endorsed a ban. He said he believed the General Assembly would ultimately decide the issue, but for now "the local approach seems to be working" and a governor shouldn't "intervene." Beshear said that as local bans proliferate, there will be enough support for a statewide ban.

But David Adkisson, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the committee in favor of a ban. "The attitude in Kentucky is changing toward smoking and the health effects can no longer be ignored," he said. "The business community now sees the effects of both smoking and secondhand smoke on our workforces in terms of absenteeism and lost productivity. ... Smoking is not only killing us, it is bankrupting us — both in terms of costs to business and cost of government."

"The momentum at the local level has created a growing demand for a statewide smoke-free law," added Amy Barkley, chair of the Smoke-Free Kentucky Campaign. "We know from experience here in Kentucky and across the nation that smoke-free laws are good for health, good for business, and essential to protecting citizens and workers form the proven hazards of secondhand smoke."

Last year's bill never got a committee hearing, but advocates said hopes were never high that it would pass. They said the time was right to introduce the idea to the General Assembly and educate legislators about the importance of a comprehensive law that would protect all employees, including restaurant and nightclub workers, from second-hand smoke. "Here's what's important: We don't want to settle for a half-baked law," Barkley said. (Read more)

Bullitt County health board will appeal judge's ruling against smoking ban, with financial help from Clark County

The Bullitt County Board of Health will appeal a local judge's ruling that it lacks the authority to impose a smoking ban, and it will get some help from the board in Clark County, one of four where bans have been enacted by health boards instead of county fiscal courts.

The $5,000 will come not from tax dollars, but from "money received from the University of Kentucky for consulting services provided by Health Department Director Scott Lockard," Rachel Parsons of The Winchester Sun reports. UK "contracted with the Clark County Health Department so Lockard could work with the university and other local public health directors on smoke-free issues."

If the Bullitt County ruling is upheld, the decision could invalidate regulations enacted by health departments in Clark, Madison, Woodford and Hopkins counties. At the Court of Appeals, “If they uphold the lower court’s ruling, then we will have an injunction against our ruling until it goes to the Supreme Court, so we will suspend the enforcement of it until we get a final determination,” Lockard said. “We fully anticipate that the ruling will be in favor of the boards of health, because this is just a very narrow interpretation.” (Read more)

Bullitt judge strikes down health board's smoking ban; could lead to decision with statewide impact, if appealed

A Bullitt County judge has extinguished a countywide smoking ban that was supposed to go into effect Monday, saying the county health board overstepped its authority. The ruling could lead to a decision with statewide impact, determining whether county health boards have such power; a judge in another county approved a ban there and the ruling was not appealed.

Circuit Judge Rodney Burress called the ban void and unlawful, Charlie White of The Courier-Journal reports. "This court does not believe that type of 'Big Brother' conduct was anticipated by the Kentucky state legislature in its grant of power and authority to boards of health," Burress wrote.

"It's a win for business and a win for choice in Bullitt County," said Harlen Compton, one of the founders of Bullitt County Choice, a group of area business owners and residents.

The ban would have prohibited smoking in bars, restaurants and all public places. But even before the Bullitt County Board of Health passed the ban, the county's eight cities and its Fiscal Court sued the board, White reports.

Swannie Jett, the county's health director, said health officials were "very disappointed" and will decide in the coming weeks if they will appeal the decision.

Burress wrote that Bullitt County residents "are entitled to be governed by their elected representatives and should not be subjected to additional laws enacted by an administrative agency without an express grant of authority."

The health board passed the ban under Kentucky Revised Statute 212.230, which says health boards "shall" adopt, implement and enforce regulations necessary to protect public health. Opponents said such a far-reaching regulation as a smoking ban can only be legally passed by city councils or fiscal courts, White reports.

However, the Bullitt County board is not the first in Kentucky to enact such a ban. Health boards in Woodford, Hopkins, Madison and Clark counties have done likewise. The move in Hopkins County did result in a legal battle, but the judge sided with the health department. (Read more)

Opinions on health and safety issues differ among regions in Ky.

New data show Kentuckians' views on several major health-related issues vary depending on where they live. Those in Eastern Kentucky, the area with the highest poverty rate, are more likely to worry about having the money to pay for nutritious meals. They also have less access to affordable fruit and vegetables, and have a harder time finding safe places to exercise.

The data were compiled through the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which was conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. It surveyed more than 1,600 Kentuckians selected at random.

Views on smoking also differ by region. People in Northern Kentucky are less likely to support a statewide smoking ban, while people in the greater Louisville area tend to be more in favor of it. The views reflect local smoking bans that are already in effect; Louisville has banned smoking in public places since 2008, but the movement has stalled in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentuckians are also less likely to support legislation that would ban cell phone use while driving. People living in Kentucky's two largest urban centers, Louisville and Lexington, are more likely to use their cell phones while driving. People in Lexington said they're more like to talk, text or send emails on their phones when behind the wheel, while people in Louisville are only more likely to talk. People in Eastern Kentucky are the least likely group to talk or text on a cell phone when operating a vehicle.

Almost 3 in 4 respondents said they would support a complete ban on cell phone use while driving. Nearly as many said they need more information in order to understand the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal health-reform law.

The poll is jointly funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. (Read more)

Smoke-free campuses are a growing trend; UK volunteers taking action to get compliance with ban enacted nearly two years ago

This summer, Tobacco-free Take Action! volunteers at the University of Kentucky have been circling campus, asking students to put out their cigarettes while on school property. UK is one of about 530 U.S. colleges that have enacted smoke-free policies. (Photo from University of Michigan)

Most of the bans are considered comprehensive, with smoking prohibited on all grounds, including athletic facilities, restaurants and parking lots, reports CNN's Stephanie Steinberg. That is the case at UK, which enacted its ban in November 2009. Then, just 300 college campuses had similar bans in effect. Within the past year, 120 campuses were added to the smoke-free list nationwide. Today, in addition to UK, Bellarmine University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Morehead State University, Pikeville College, Spalding University, St. Catharine College, Union College and University of Louisville are smoke-free, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 46 million Americans age 18 and older smoke cigarettes. A 2010 American College Health Association report found 4.4. percent of the more than 30,000 students surveyed had smoked every day in the past 30 days. In Kentucky, about 26 percent of adult Kentuckians smoke.

Since UK enacted its ban in 2009, a growing number of people have gotten help to quit smoking at the university. "After the policy's first year, enrollment rose to 146 people," up from 33 the year before, Steinberg reports. "The number of nicotine replacement coupons redeemed by students and faculty also increased from 124 to 470 in the same period."

One of the keys to changing mindsets is to avoid being too heavy-handed, Steinberg reports. "We certainly don't have smoking police," said Ellen Hahn, director of UK's Tobacco Policy Research Program. Instead student volunteers gently remind others of the policy while offering smoking cessation information.

Ty Patterson, former vice president of student affairs at Ozarks Technical Community College in Missouri, predicts that in 10 years almost all college campuses in the country will be smoke-free. "We've gone from pushing smoking out of the building . . . to now trying to push smoking totally off campus," said Laura Talbott Forbes, chairwoman of the 2010 American College Health Association's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Coalition. (Read more)

Judge to decide if health board's smoking ban will stand in Bullitt County, as one did in Hopkins County

Whether the Bullitt County Board of Health had the authority to pass a countywide smoking ban is in the hands of Bullitt Circuit Judge Rodney Burress, who heard from the board and representatives of the Fiscal Court objecting to the move Thursday.

In March, the Board of Health passed a ban that would prohibit smoking in bars, restaurants and all public places, including some that are outside. It was supposed to go into effect in September.

But attorneys representing the Bullitt Fiscal Court said the health board has "overstepped its authority by enacting a policy that should have been handed down by a legislative body, such as a city council or Fiscal Court," The Courier-Journal's Charlie White reports.

Margaret Miller, who is helping to represent the board of health, cited the Kentucky statute, which gives boards of health the authority to adopt, implement and enforce regulations to protect people's health.

The Bullitt County Board of Health is not the first in Kentucky to enact such a ban. Health boards in Woodford, Hopkins, Madison and Clark counties did likewise. The move in Hopkins County did result in a legal battle, but the judge sided with the health department and the ruling was not appealed. (Read more)

Non-profit encourages districts to go tobacco free inside and outside of schools

In an op-ed piece in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, encourages school districts to adopt comprehensive tobacco-free policies.

"Many believe that schools are already tobacco-free, but this is only partially true," she writes. "While smoking is prohibited inside school buildings, weak policies at many schools mean staff and students continue to light up on school grounds. About 10 percent of Kentucky high school students report smoking on school property, according to the 2009 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey."

Zepeda encourages school districts to adopt tobacco-free school policies, which prohibit tobacco products for anyone on school property or at school-sponsored events, such as field trips and sporting events.

"The 2010 Kentucky Health Issues Poll shows that nearly nine in 10 (86 percent) Kentuckians favor 100 percent tobacco-free school policies," Zepeda writes. "While support for these policies was strongest among those who have never smoked, a solid majority of current smokers (75 percent) also supported 100 percent tobacco-free school policies. Clearly, 100 percent tobacco-free policies are an easy win for school districts." (Read more)

Majority of Americans now support comprehensive smoking bans

For the first time since it started asking the question in 2001, a majority of Americans polled by the Gallup Organization say they support a ban on smoking in all public places. The poll showed 59 percent of Americans support such a ban. In 2001, only 39 percent of people did, The Huffington Post reports. Only 20 percent said they would support making smoking illegal, as alcohol was during Prohibition from 1920 to 1933.

According to the American Lung Association, 27 states and the District of Columbia have passed comprehensive smoke-free laws. Kentucky is not among them, but 31 Kentucky communities have passed such laws. A poll conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky released earlier this year showed 44 percent of respondents said they were strongly in favor of a statewide smoking ban. Another 15 percent said they were somewhat in favor of it. (Read more)