Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday on cigarette maker Reynolds American Inc.'s support of Arizona's Non-Smoker Protection Committee and Ohio's Smoke Less Ohio, two advocacy groups which support exempting certain establishments ("venues like bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls etc.") from the growing state and city legislation banning smoking in public places. AP also reported Reynolds is working on defeating California's Proposition 86 (pdf) and Missouri's SJR 38 (pdf) which propose raising cigarette taxes in those states. According to the story, Reynolds is planning to spend $40 million in the four states. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says Reynolds' effort "puts profits before life and health."

In Hawaii this past 2006 session, the Legislature passed SB 3262, signed by Governor Lingle as Act 295 (pdf) July 10 and taking effect November 16, 2006, which prohibits smoking in most enclosed or partially enclosed places open to the public, including bars, workplaces and airports, with only few exceptions (e.g., tobacco stores, private residences, designated smoking hotel and motel rooms, etc).

A related Honolulu Advertiser Friday news story reporting that tobacco use among teens in Hawaii is declining, writes,

"Over the last 10 years the rates of illegal tobacco sales in Hawai'i have dropped from 44.5 percent to 5.9 percent," said Health Director Chiyome Fukino..."Our comprehensive tobacco prevention strategy has played a major role in getting Hawai'i to maintain one of the lowest rates in the nation for seven consecutive years...The reality is smoking kills. Even if you don't put a cigarette to your lips."

See also, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids :

• Current State Cigarette Tax Rates (July 2006, pdf, 1 page/180kB)
• Fact Sheets: State Tobacco Taxes
• Smoke-Free Laws Do Not Harm Business At Restaurants And Bars (April 2005, pdf, 4 pages/240kB)
  
• Fact Sheets: Secondhand Smoke
  

artwork from CAMEL ad campaign for Kauai Kolada cigarettes; source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids