Here is the NBER paper. http://www.nber.org/tmp/53834-w14790.pdf March 2009 "This paper analyzes nationally representative databases, including the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, to compare short-term changes in mortality and hospitalization rates in smoking-restricted regions with control regions. In contrast with smaller regional studies, we find that workplace bans are not associated with statistically significant short-term declines in mortality or hospital admissions for myocardial infarction or other diseases. An analysis simulating smaller studies using subsamples reveals that large short-term increases in myocardial infarction incidence following a workplace ban are as common as the large decreases reported in the published literature." Bans have no short term impact on health. Some bans, in some states, have been on the books for over a decade and they have not had any impact on health either. Ergo - bans are not about health, health issues regarding tobacco smoke are just lies used to justify bans. Imagine that! Killed by a smell!
Not so fast, harleyrider1978 -- "NBER Working Papers have not undergone the review accorded official NBER publications; in particular, they have not been submitted for approval by the Board of directors. They are intended to make results of NBER research available to other economists in preliminary form to encourage discussion and suggestions for revision before final publication." [see http://www.nber.org/papers/ (at the bottom of the webpage)]