Tobacco Prevention Notes
Montana’s 20-year-old Clean Indoor Act has received an upgrade.
The Montana Legislature, earlier this year, passed a bill that adds e-cigarettes (vapes) to our long-standing smokefree law. It’s now illegal to vape in public indoor spaces, including all places of employment, bars, casinos and restaurants.
This law protects people from second-hand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol, which can include cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals and ultrafine particles that can lodge deep in the lungs. It also sends a clear message to our kids that no type of smoking is healthy.
The update also provides consistency and clarity. Now, in addition to cigarettes, cigars, and marijuana, vaping is also prohibited in all indoor public spaces and workplace. This change simplifies understanding and compliance for both the public and business owners.
As stated in law, the intent of Montana’s Clean Indoor Air Act is to “protect the public health and welfare by prohibiting smoking in public places and places of employment; recognize the right of nonsmokers to breathe smoke-free air; and recognize that the need to breathe smoke-free air has priority over the desire to smoke.”
Our Clean Indoor Air Act works well because Roosevelt County businesses and residents understand that most people want to breathe clean, healthy air in our public indoor spaces. It’s become the norm.
For questions about the change to the Clean Indoor Air Act, contact county tobacco education specialist A.J. Allen at 406-653-6212.
To report a possible violation of the Clean Indoor Air Act or to obtain smoke-free signage for your business, visit tobaccofree.mt.gov.
