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COMPREHENSIVE SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCE PASSES IN NEW IBERIA

Mar. 16, 2022

New Iberia, La. – (March 15, 2022) – The New Iberia City Council voted last night to protect the health of residents by passing a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance that builds on the 2007 Smoke-Free Air Act to include bars and gaming facilities. The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the Louisiana Public Health Institute applaud this move.

“Residents of New Iberia will now be able to breathe easier and healthier in public spaces with the passing of this smoke-free ordinance,” said Rene Stansbury, TFL Regional Manager and Healthy Iberia Coalition Chair. “We appreciate the continued support from the City Council and congratulate them on this great step forward in protecting the health of the community.”

The smoke-free ordinance, which passed 4 to 3, will ensure all residents will be protected from the dangerous health effects of secondhand smoke. New Iberia is the 31st municipality in the state of Louisiana to become smoke-free. This brings the total population of Louisiana residents protected by smoke-free ordinances to 1,411,053.

“We are excited that New Iberia can now lay claim to being the next great smoke-free city in Louisiana,” said Rica Trigs, Community Advocacy Advisor for the American Heart Association of Greater New Orleans. “This ordinance will eventually lead to lower cleaning and healthcare costs for many local business owners, simply by asking smokers to respect their neighboring nonsmoker’s choice to refrain from tobacco use and step outside. We look forward to continuing to see progress toward a smoke-free Louisiana as our local communities continue to rise above the tobacco industry’s continued attempts on their health and wallets.”

For more information on the growing movement to protect all Louisiana employees from secondhand smoke, visit www.HealthierAirForAll.org.

Louisianans interested in quitting tobacco can visit www.QuitWithUsLa.org or call 1-800-Quit-Now to connect with a quit coach and create a personalized Quit Plan. Coaches are available 24/7, seven days a week. Quit With Us, Louisiana also provides counseling services over the phone, via text, through an app, or on the website chatbox. Quit Coaches can also provide cessation medication and make recommendations on what prescription medications participants can review with their doctor. Young adults and individuals seeking to quit vaping can get vaping-specific cessation assistance by texting “VAPEFREE” to 873373.

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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.