On 50th Anniversary, ANR Reflects On Key Smokefree Milestones and Looks Ahead to Fights Still to Come
Berkeley, CA—In 2026 Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is celebrating 50 years of leading the fight to protect the American people from the harms of secondhand smoke. Over the past five decades, ANR has led campaigns, empowered workers, amplified voices of everyday Americans, and educated business owners, policymakers, and the public about the need for smokefree air in all public spaces. The impact of ANR’s work is seen throughout the country—smokefree flights are now the norm, while the amount of smokefree hotels, bars, and restaurants grow each and every year.
“When ANR first began, smoking was at an all-time high,” said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of ANR. “Offices, restaurants, airplanes, and workplaces were constantly filled with toxic secondhand smoke, and there was very little research on how this impacted public health or economic prosperity. Recognizing the obvious threat that secondhand smoke posed to Americans’ health, ANR jumped in to fight for commonsense regulation that would secure people’s right to breathe clean air. 50 years later, I am proud to say that we have achieved milestones far greater than anyone could have imagined in 1976.”
“Over the past five decades, the smokefree laws we fought for have prevented millions of deaths from cancer, heart disease, and countless other illnesses caused by secondhand smoke exposure. The United States spends approximately $225 billion each year treating smoking-related illness. Each and every one of our wins as public health advocates is another step towards easing the costly burden caused directly by the tobacco industry and its pursuit of profit. We will not stop fighting until everyone has access to 100% smokefree indoor air no matter where they live, work, or play. And while we are far from 100% smokefree public spaces across the country, ANR will continue to advocate for public health for all.”
The fight to protect public health from toxic smoke is not over just yet. ANR is proud to have worked with Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a group of casino workers fighting for their right to breathe clean air in their workplaces, since the group’s inception. In Atlantic City, where CEASE was founded, casino employees are essentially the largest and last group of hospitality workers not protected from dangerous secondhand smoke. ANR is working tirelessly to close casino smoking loopholes in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Today, 37.2% of American workers are still exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace, and 33.2% of the U.S. population lives in locations without a smokefree restaurant and bar law. Casinos, airports, and cigar and cannabis bars that allow smoking continue to put workers, travelers, and patrons at risk of health issues. ANR is committed to protecting those who are unjustly exposed to secondhand smoke and will continue to fight for public health protections until all public spaces are 100% smokefree.
Listed below are a few of ANR’s key milestones over the past 50 years:
49 Years of Smokefree Berkeley, CA
Just one year after its founding, ANR succeeded in its efforts to establish Berkeley, California as the first community in the United States to pass a local clean indoor air ordinance. At the time, ANR was called the Northern California Group Against Smoking Pollution (NoCal GASP). This monumental win paved the way for the group to begin expanding its work across the state, and the organization merged with the Southern California GASP to become Californians for Nonsmokers’ Rights.
That group led the fight for broader smokefree legislation in the state, and in 1995, California became the first state in the country to pass comprehensive, statewide smokefree legislation—eliminating secondhand smoke from nearly all workplaces and indoor public spaces. By 1998, the smokefree law included restaurants, bars, and gaming facilities. In the process of passing this unprecedented legislation, the Californians for Nonsmokers’ Rights became known for its public health expertise. As advocates across the country began to focus more on clean indoor air and smokefree legislation, they relied heavily on the group’s knowledge, which led them to become Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights.
36 Years of Smokefree Skies
The law prohibiting smoking on domestic flights, which took effect 35 years ago, was made possible by a broad coalition of health groups, legislative champions, and tenacious flight attendants who, with the help of ANR, were willing to speak up publicly for their right to breathe. The Smokefree Skies victory set the stage for broader workplace protections by showing that smokefree policies can protect workers without harming business.
Every flight entering or leaving the United States and nearly all U.S. airports are 100% smokefree, including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, Newark, and many more. The most recent to implement no-smoking policies were Washington Dulles in 2023 and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2020.
20 Years of Smokefree Hotels
In January of 2006, Westin Hotels and Resorts implemented the first nationwide 100% smokefree hotel policy in the United States. Despite Big Tobacco’s decades-long campaign against restrictions in hotels, the Westin policy proceeded in accordance with feedback from its customers—demonstrating once again that the majority of adults prefer smokefree policies.
Following Westin’s example, Marriott International also adopted a smokefree hotel policy across all of its U.S. properties later that same year. In 2008, Starwood extended a 100% smokefree policy to its Sheraton properties, and eventually, throughout its entire portfolio across the United States. This domino effect is still happening today. At least six states and 260 cities, including Atlanta, New Orleans, and Indianapolis, require all hotels to be 100% smokefree indoors.
11 Years of Smokefree New Orleans
In 2015, the New Orleans City Council passed a landmark smokefree law that has protected the health of workers and consumers while boosting the city’s economy. Importantly, over the objections of the gaming industry, the law extended to casinos, protecting a group of workers who have historically been left out of smokefree laws across the country.
Since its enactment, New Orleans’ smokefree law has delivered undeniable benefits. Public support surged to nearly 80% within six months as residents embraced its positive impact. As the owners of the only land-based casino in the city, Caesars Entertainment has seen great success since the law’s passage—having recently completed a $435 million renovation, securing the naming rights to the Superdome, and opening a new concert venue. As cities and states continue to debate smokefree casino policies, New Orleans stands as a clear example of what is possible when public health is prioritized. Eliminating secondhand smoke in casinos protects workers, improves health outcomes, and fosters economic prosperity.
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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR), sister organization to the ANR Foundation, is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for 50 years, since 1976, to protect everyone’s right to breathe nontoxic air in workplaces and public places, from offices and airplanes to restaurants, bars, and casinos. ANR has continuously shined a light on the tobacco industry’s interference with sound and life-saving public health measures and has successfully protected 62.8% of the population with local or statewide smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws. ANR aims to create healthy communities by closing remaining gaps in smokefree protections for workers in all workplaces, including bars, music venues, casinos, and hotels. For more information, please visit nonsmokersrights.org and smokefreecasinos.org.
See a timeline of ANR’s 50 Years of Work
