The 9th December last year was a historic day on the Pacific island of Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States. Governor Felix Camacho signed into law a bill making restaurants and most enclosed public places smoke-free. Bill 16 was written by Democratic senator Lou Leon Guerrero, who, in 2003, raised tobacco taxes on Guam. While the bill that was passed was not as strong as the original version, it represents a step towards a healthier future for the island’s 170 000 people, who have the highest adult smoking prevalence of all US States and Territories.

It took a lot of manoeuvring and shrewd political strategy to get the bill passed, because of efforts to block and/or dilute it by parties aligned with tobacco-related interests. Introduced by the …