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Minn. Smoking Ban Advances One Notch; More To Go

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Feb 1, 2007 6:00 pm US/Central

Minn. Smoking Ban Advances One Notch; More To Go

Minneapolis (AP) ― A bill to ban smoking in Minnesota bars, restaurants and other workplaces has taken its first step toward passage, but has a long way to go before becoming law.

The House Health and Human Services Committee approved the bill on a 12-to-6 vote, after rejecting attempts to let smoking continue in establishments that install ventilation equipment.

One opponent of the bill asked the committee to outlaw smoking altogether in Minnesota, saying it would be inconsistent to restrict smoking only in some places. That also was rejected.

The bill now goes to the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

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Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In 2005, it was estimated that, each year, exposure to secondhand smoke in the United States kills more than 3,000 adult nonsmokers from lung cancer and approximately 46,000 from coronary heart disease.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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