MINNESOTA COMMERCIAL TOBACCO CONTROL

The state of Minnesota has played a special role in U.S. commercial tobacco control. In 1975, Minnesota was the first state to enact a Clean Indoor Air Act. Ten years later, the Minnesota Department of Health launched the country’s first state-funded tobacco control program. In May 2007, the attorneys at the Public Health Law Center, in tandem with public health advocates and policymakers, wrote Minnesota’s statewide smoke-free law, the Freedom to Breathe Act of 2007, a comprehensive smoke-free law that covers indoor public places and workplaces, including bars and restaurants. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health to this day.