Half of US states now have strict anti-smoking laws while nationwide ban is on track for 2020

Half of the states in the U.S. have banned smoking in restaurants, bars and the workplace since 2000, and federal health officials have predicted that cigarette smoking will be forbidden in all U.S. states by 2020.

In a new report, the CDC estimates that roughly 47.8 per cent of residents are now covered by comprehensive state or local indoor smoking bans.

Still, an estimated 88 million people age 3 or older are still exposed to second hand smoke, according to the office’s report.

‘It is by no means a foregone conclusion that we'll get there by 2020,’ said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health, in reference to the goal of a ban in 50 states.

Still he maintains that he is ‘relatively bullish we'll at least get close to that number.’