A few years after the U.S. Surgeon General first declared secondhand smoke hazardous to one's health in 1986, Hawai'i passed its current anti-smoking law.

But as evidence linking secondhand smoke to disease grows more irrefutable, Hawai'i's current law is no longer good enough to safeguard public health.

It's time for an update. Senate Bill 3262 would give Hawai'i a tough and comprehensive anti-smoking law similar to ones in California and New York.

The bill would restrict smoking in all workplaces, including bars and nightclubs — currently exempted by the present law. Smokers could still light up if they choose, but only outside the premises where the secondhand smoke risk is lessened.

That's an improvement over the weak state law that allows counties to set their own anti-smoking laws to their liking.

This means the law could be different from one island to the next, confusing tourists and local travelers alike. For example, on Maui smoking restrictions exist in restaurants and outdoor dining facilities, but not in other businesses. Smoking is still allowed in offices; on Kauai, businesses with five employees or fewer can allow smoking; on O'ahu, smoking is banned in restaurants but is allowed in stand-alone bars and nightclubs.

Rather than trying to placate county leaders, lawmakers should make the anti-smoking law uniform statewide and set a high standard by restricting smoking in all indoor workplaces. That's something we should all welcome, given the health risks.

Businesses may argue about the bill's financial impact. But studies show that in states with stiff smoking restrictions, businesses have reported no loss in patronage associated with the law.

Smokers, too, may object. But the proposal still allows them to smoke, just not in a place where it can harm anyone but themselves.

And that brings us back to the issue of public health. Since the Surgeon General's initial warning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified secondhand smoke a Grade A carcinogen. This year, California declared it a toxic substance.

Hawai'i deserves an effective and expansive anti-smoking law. This bill gives lawmakers the opportunity to do just that.