▁ind oor ▁air ▁poll ution ▁of ▁neighbour ing ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁en act ed ▁its ▁sm oking ▁ban . ▁ ▁Research ▁has ▁also ▁shown ▁that ▁improved ▁air ▁quality ▁transl ates ▁to ▁decre ased ▁to x in ▁expos ure ▁among ▁employees . ▁For ▁example , ▁among ▁employees ▁of ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁establish ments ▁that ▁en act ed ▁sm oking ▁restrictions , ▁tests ▁showed ▁decre ased ▁levels ▁of ▁nic ot ine ▁in ▁the ▁ur ine ▁of ▁both ▁sm oking ▁and ▁non - sm oking ▁workers ▁( as ▁compared ▁with ▁measurements ▁prior ▁to ▁going ▁smoke - free ). ▁ ▁Public ▁Health ▁Law ▁Research ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Public ▁Health ▁Law ▁Research ▁Program , ▁a ▁national ▁program ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Robert ▁Wood ▁Johnson ▁Foundation , ▁published ▁an ▁evidence ▁brief ▁summar ising ▁the ▁research ▁assess ing ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁a ▁specific ▁law ▁or ▁policy ▁on ▁public ▁health . ▁They ▁stated ▁that ▁" There ▁is ▁strong ▁evidence ▁supporting ▁sm oking ▁b ans ▁and ▁restrictions ▁as ▁effective ▁public ▁health ▁inter vent ions ▁aim ed ▁at ▁decre asing ▁expos ure ▁to ▁second hand ▁smoke ." ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁earliest ▁sm oking ▁b ans ▁was ▁a ▁ 1 5 7 5 ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁reg ulation ▁which ▁forb ade ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁to b acco ▁in ▁any ▁church ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁In ▁ 1 6 0 4 ▁King ▁James ▁I ▁of ▁England ▁published ▁an ▁anti - sm oking ▁treat ise , ▁A ▁C ounter bl aste ▁to ▁Tob acco