SMALL TOWN MAKES BIG DIFFERENCE: RINGGOLD BECOMES ONE OF LOUISIANA’S SMOKE-FREE COMMUNITIES
Feb. 13, 2023
Media Contact:
Liana Narcisse
(985)710-9213
LNarcisse@lphi.org
SMALL TOWN MAKES BIG DIFFERENCE:
RINGGOLD BECOMES ONE OF LOUISIANA’S SMOKE-FREE COMMUNITIES
Ringgold, La. – (February 14, 2023) – The Town of Ringgold, La. has expanded on the 2007 Smoke-Free Air Act to now include bars and gaming facilities. This a proactive measure to ensure employees and patrons of bars and gaming facilities will not have be exposed to cancer-causing secondhand smoke. The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) applauds this move.
“Ringgold is thinking about the future,” said Feamula Bradley, TFL Regional Manager for Northwest Louisiana. “Ensuring smoke-free workplaces for everyone is important to promote health equity and Ringgold is making sure any future business that would’ve been allowed to permit smoking/vaping will now have protect their employees’ health.”
The smoke-free ordinance will ensure all residents will be protected from the dangerous health effects of secondhand smoke. Ringgold is the 34th municipality in the state of Louisiana to become smoke-free. This brings the total population of Louisiana residents protected by smoke-free ordinances to 30.42% of the total Louisiana population.
“We are excited that Ringgold has joined the growing number of small towns looking to make big health impacts,” said Ringgold Mayor Vining. “We look forward to growing our community with environments that are safe for everyone.”
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.