That physical property is the reason smoking is banned in an increasing number of places, including entire cities. Charleston recently became the latest community in South Carolina to ban workplace smoking.

Attitudes toward public smoking have shifted slowly since the 1950s and '60s when it was tolerated almost everywhere. As health concerns mounted, restaurants, airplanes and other public places resorted to designating specific areas for smokers.

But it became increasingly clear that designated smoking areas did little to contain drifting smoke. If one passenger is smoking on an airplane, so are all the other passengers. A lawsuit by airline attendants who were forced to breathe secondhand smoke on every flight eventually resulted in an outright smoking ban on planes.

The next step was smoking bans in the workplace, which now are the norm. Next came bans in government buildings, hospitals and other public areas and, finally, bans in private restaurants and other establishments. A mix of motives drives these bans.

Health certainly is one. With a growing awareness of the danger of secondhand smoke, it is clear that no one should be unwillingly subjected to it.

Fear of being sued is another motive. Employers take a big legal risk if they force employees to work in a smoky environment, such as a bar, where they might contract tobacco-related diseases.

And finally, good business sense is a motive for some. Many restaurant operators, for example, have found that business picks up after smoking is banned.

Now, it seems, the trend is toward citywide or even statewide workplace bans on smoking. In Australia and a number of European countries, public smoking is banned nationwide.

Charlestonians debated for nearly seven years before adopting an ordinance that bans indoor smoking in businesses, including bars, restaurants, private clubs, stores and offices. It allows smoking outside as long as smoke does not get into nearby buildings.

Charleston now has joined Bluffton, Greenville and Beaufort County, which have enacted similar bans. Columbia has passed a smoking ban but has delayed enforcement until legal questions are resolved. Hilton Head Island and Lexington County also are considering bans.

But the Charleston ban will be one of the more significant examples. Charleston is packed with tourists year-round and is home to numerous bars, restaurants, stores and other establishments open to the public. If a smoking ban works there, it can work almost anywhere.

IN SUMMARY
Charleston is the latest S.C. city to institute a workplace smoking ban.