Minnesota&8217;s Freedom to Breathe Act took effect at 12:01 a.m. today. Many smokers at bars in the Albert Lea area Sunday night had to put out their smokes once the midnight hour came or else go outside to smoke.

The ban also affects restaurants but local restaurants where smoking had been allowed are not open late on Sundays.

After leading the nation with limits on smoking in the 1975 &8220;Clean Indoor Air Act,&8221; Minnesota became the 17th state to implement a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

In Iowa, smoking remains legal in bars and restaurants.