Lawmakers push for a smoke-free Louisiana
Jul. 24, 2019
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A legislative committee is working on a smoke-free plan for the State of Louisiana.
In 2007, Louisiana’s Smoke-Free Air Act went into effect, prohibiting smoking in most public areas, including workplaces, universities, and restaurants, but it did not include bars and gaming facilities. A recent study found the act doesn’t go far enough to protect all of Louisiana’s workers from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
“I know for one, it would be to include bars and gaming, and then the other loopholes are allowing smoking in convention halls and centers during Mardi Gras balls as well as tobacco expos. That’s a loophole. There may be some nursing home exemptions as well as hotel/motel. Also, it needs to be increased to include vaping and e-cigarettes,” said Tonia Moore, director of Tobacco Prevention and Control.
More than a dozen Louisiana cities, including Baton Rouge, have already passed city-wide smoking bans that include bars and gaming facilities.