Some experts question evidence of harm from outdoor smoking

Some experts question the main rationale for outdoor smoking bans, saying there's not good medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm the health of children and other passers-by. Whether it is a long-term health issue for a lot of people "is still up in the air," said Neil Klepeis, a Stanford University researcher whose work is cited by advocates of outdoor bans. Ronald Bayer, a Columbia University professor, put it in even starker terms. "The evidence of a risk to people in open-air settings is flimsy," he said. Read more here.