How are states regulating smoking in public places?

Prompted in part by a 1993 Environmental Protection Agency report placing secondhand smoke in the same category as asbestos and other environmental toxins, many states have enacted laws prohibiting smoking in public places. The following Commentary by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal examines tobacco regulation from a state perspective. A survey of state statutory and case law on smoking in public places follows the Commentary, with statutes grouped according to the type of public place in question. Laws that generally address smoking in public places are listed under the heading Public Places. Particularized statutes that govern smoking in specific environments are listed under their own respective categories