Tobacco use has been a part of American culture since colonial times. However, it was not until the mid-1900s that people became aware of the health hazards associated with smoking tobacco.11 In the 1990s, the focus on the health hazards associated with smoking broadened to include the hazard to others caused by secondhand smoke.12 This section will give an overview of the country's history of tobacco use and the resulting legislation, followed by a discussion of the origins of the NCIAA and a brief comparison to other states' clean indoor air acts.
*727 A. America's History of Tobacco Use