City of Alexandria celebrates 10 years of smoke-free air
Jan. 28, 2022
On Wednesday, The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the City of Alexandria celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Alexandria Smoke-Free Air Ordinance, which went into effect January 1, 2012, with a ceremony at the Hotel Bentley. Alexandria was the first municipality in Louisiana to pass a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance that includes bars and gaming facilities, which has led to the passage of 29 other smoke-free ordinances across Louisiana.
Current and former elected officials and advocates who helped pass and maintain Alexandria’s smoke-free ordinance were in attendance, including Jeffrey W. Hall, Mayor, City of Alexandria; Mark A. Thomas, Deputy Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health; Lee Rubin, City Councilman At-Large, City of Alexandria; Jennifer Gilchrist, TFL Regional Manager, Region 6; Dr. Earl Benjamin-Robinson, TFL Director; Dr. David Holcombe, Regional Administrator/Medical Director, Louisiana Office of Public Health, Region 6; Roosevelt Johnson, former City Council President, City of Alexandria; Mitzi LaSalle, former City Councilwoman, City of Alexandria; Chubby Carrier, Zydeco Grammy Winner; and more.
“Ten years ago, the community decided to put health first and extend the current smoke-free ordinance to include bars and gaming facilities,” said Mayor Jeffrey W. Hall. “That decision has had a positive impact on our community by reducing secondhand smoke, encouraged residents to utilize Quitline services, and increased revenue at our bars and gaming facilities. I applaud the Mayor and City Council members who were instrumental in passing this ordinance in 2012 and look forward to celebrating even more