Smoke-free Act celebrates one year success

There's not much we've praised the state of Illinois for in the last year or so. But on this one, the politicians in Springfield got it right.

It's been a little more than a year since the Smoke-free Illinois Act first went into effect state-wide, and we couldn't be more thrilled to celebrate its continued success. The act banned virtually all smoking indoors in public venues and reduced risks of health problems as a result of secondhand smoke.

We still remember going to campus bars and breathing in smoke all night. And worse than that, waking up the next morning with hair, clothes and a jacket that smelled like an ashtray. To those of you that came to campus for the first time last fall, you're lucky to not remember the hazy bar scene.

Originally, many businesses, bars and restaurants were extremely averse to enacting the law. Before the ban went into effect, the opposition was great enough in Champaign that the city council actually reversed an ordinance that banned smoking in public places. The opposition claimed the change would hurt their businesses, slashing profits by as much as 30 percent and crushing local economies.

Today, its seems those claims are unfounded. If anything, we like to think the act has made going out a little cleaner and healthier, especially on our campus.

Parents who didn't want to subject their children to secondhand smoke can now enjoy a restaurant meal without the output of the smoking sections seeping over unclear borders. Students that didn't want to smell of tobacco can now enjoy the Campustown and city bars without worry.

And those that do want to smoke can just step outside and enjoy a cigarette without bothering anyone else.

Statistics also show that many smokers pick up the habit as freshmen in college. We know firsthand that often began with a cigarette in a bar offered from a friend. Without that opportunity, hopefully less students are starting a habit that can lead to health problems long after they graduate.

When Illinois' Smoke-free Act went into effect, it joined 22 other states in an important effort to stop the dangers of secondhand smoke in virtually all public places including shopping centers, stores, bars, restaurants, libraries and schools. We're proud that Illinois is part of this effort.

Not much good has come out of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's time in office. Perhaps Blagojevich signing legislation for the Smoke-free Illinois Act was one good thing he did for Illinois.