Navajo Nation President Johnathan Nez signed the Air is Life Act into law Saturday.
The act prohibits using commercial tobacco products in enclosed, indoor workplaces or public places and within 25 feet of any indoor area across the Navajo Nation.
President Nez says smoke-free spaces are a way to protect those with health issues, including those with lasting effects from COVID-19.
“By protecting our most vulnerable population, we don’t want them to have long-term health effects from this virus that has come into our home and in our Nation,” said Nez.
Nez says the Air is Life Coalition, which helped draft the bill, has been advocating and educating the Navajo Nation on the dangers of smoking for over 13 years.
The act does not prohibit using commercial tobacco or traditional smoke for ceremonial or cultural settings and purposes, nor smoking in private residences.
