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Legislation banning smoking in public indoor facilities in the Golden State was enacted in 1994 and phased in over four years following the law's enactment.

Restaurants in California went smoke-free in 1995, followed by bars, taverns and casinos in 1998.

IN 1997, 1998 and 2000, studies by the Field Research Corp., conducted on behalf of the California Department of Health Services, found:

* Sixty-eight percent of bar patrons preferred smoke-free environments in bars in 1998, and the number climbed to 75 percent in 2000.

* Sixty-five percent of bar patrons either "strongly" or "somewhat" approved of the smoking ban in 1998; by 2000, the approval number had increased to 72.5 percent.

* Eighty-seven percent of bar patrons surveyed in 2000 said they were "as likely" or "more likely" to visit bars since the establishments had become smoke-free.

SALES TAX data from the California Board of Equalization found:

* For establishments selling beer and wine, annual sales were $7.16 billion in 1997, $7.6 billion in 1998 and $8.27 billion in 1999.

* For establishments selling all types of alcohol, sales were $8.64 billion in 1997, $9.08 billion in 1998 and $9.82 billion in 1999.

* Sales in California establishments that sell beer, wine and hard liquor rose $879.8 million from 1997 to 1998.

* In 2000, California's bars and restaurants had about 108,000 more employees than they did in 1995, before the ban took effect.