SHREVEPORT COMPREHENSIVE SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT ON AUGUST 1
Jul. 30, 2021
Shreveport, La. – (July 30, 2021) – The Shreveport Smoke-free Air Act, a smoke-free ordinance designed to protect the health of the City’s 193,785 residents, will go into effect for bars and gaming facilities on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Shreveport is the 30th municipality in Louisiana to implement a smoke-free ordinance. The implementation of this ordinance means that 30 percent of Louisiana’s total population is being protected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
The ordinance was originally passed in July 2020 to be implemented in August 2020, but implementation was later delayed until August 2021. In July 2021, an amendment was introduced to exclude gaming facilities from the ordinance. The amendment was ultimately tabled and the Smoke-free Air Act will include both bars and gaming facilities when it goes into effect over the weekend.
"The amount of support this ordinance received from community members shows that protecting bar and gaming service industry professionals, our community, and visitors from the dangers of secondhand smoke is the right step for Shreveport,” said Feamula Bradley, regional manager for the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL). “Putting our community’s health first, especially as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, means a safer and more welcoming environment for everyone that will ultimately save lives.”
“We applaud the City of Shreveport on this smoke-free effort, as it sets a worthy precedent for all communities to recognize and follow,” said Earl Benjamin-Robinson, director of TFL. “We look forward to working with these organizations on a smooth implementation of the smoke-free ordinance and appreciate the support we have received from the community and the City Council.”
TFL is providing materials to assist with the implementation of the Shreveport Smoke-free Air Act. These materials include a brochure that details what the new ordinance does and does not do, best practices, steps for implementation, and a “No Smoking” sign to hang in establishments. Hard copies of these materials have been mailed to local businesses and digital versions are available at www.SmokefreeShreveport.org.
For more information on the growing movement to protect all Louisiana employees from secondhand smoke, visit www.HealthierAirForAll.org.
Individuals interested in quitting tobacco products can visit www.QuitWithUsLa.org or call 1-800-Quit-Now.
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The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) engages in local and statewide tobacco control policy efforts that focus on tobacco prevention and initiation among youth, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, promote cessation services, and identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities. TFL is guided by best practices in tobacco control and envisions a healthier Louisiana by reducing the excessive burden of tobacco use on all Louisianans. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org. To find out more about the dangers of secondhand smoke and show your support for a smoke-free Louisiana, visit www.healthierairforall.org. To learn more about quitting tobacco, visit www.quitwithusla.org.
About the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC)
Founded by the Louisiana State Legislature in 2002, the LCRC is a public-private partnership designed to promote education about cancer and conduct important research on the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and prevention of cancer in Louisiana. The LCRC partners with the public at large and four major cancer research institutions in Louisiana: LSU Health, Tulane University, Ochsner Health System, and Xavier University. More information about the LCRC is available at www.louisianacancercenter.org.
About the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)
LPHI, founded in 1997, is a statewide community-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit and public health institute committed to ensuring all Louisianans have just and fair opportunities to be healthy and well. Our work focuses on areas that touch public health, including tobacco prevention and control, building healthier communities, assessing needs of communities, supporting the whole health needs of individuals and families from early childhood to older adults, COVID-19, and more. We create authentic partnerships with both communities and partners to align action for health. For more information, visit www.lphi.org.